The Erudite Spy
by RomanticlyXTragic
Summary: Tris and Four stop the attack on Abnegation with help from someone they never thought would be on their side. Even weirder, Tris finds herself falling for him. (Different spin on the war story)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Eric**

The roof top is sunny and I can feel the heat through my jacket, but I have to wait for the initiates to get here before I can go inside and who knows how long that will take?

It's only me on the roof and somehow I prefer it that way, it's peaceful up here and a good place to think. Whenever I need time to myself or need to think about something I come up here and just sit quietly staring out at the city. Right now I see that everyone is bustling around after the choosing ceremony with new transfers making their way to the factions they chose and families making their way home. The colors of each faction can be made out even from all the way out here and I continue watching until I hear the train approaching.

I take my place up on the edge of the wall and clasp my hands behind my back, the initiates start jumping off of the train onto the rooftop and I see a few faces that I recognize from the pit and others that are dressed in other colors. Candor in their black and white, Erudite in their blue, and even a girl in grey.

_Abnegation?_ That couldn't be right, the last Stiff transfer was Four and this girl looks like she could get blown away by a strong wind. I realize that I've been staring and move my eyes across the group as they stand in front of me.

"I'm Eric, one of your leaders." I'm only two years older than the rest of them, but I'm bigger and I see some of them are scared. "This is the way into Dauntless."

"We just jumped," I hear a Candor girl whisper to the Stiff. "They want us to jump again?"

"What's down there? Water?" Leave it to the Erudite to ask questions.

I cock an eyebrow up at him and smirk. "I guess you'll just have to find out. If you don't jump, you don't belong in Dauntless. Who's first?"

The group is quiet, trying not to catch my eye but it doesn't take long before someone speaks up.

"Me." The voice was small but help purpose and when I looked over I saw the Stiff walking up towards the ledge.

Jumping down onto the roof I motioned for her to take his place and jump. Taking off her grey sweater I hear one of the other initiates making fun and have to suppress a smile when she tosses the shirt at him. "Today, initiate." Without another thought she jumps and I don't hear a sound come from her, normally the initiates scream when they fall.

"Now you all get to say you jumped after a Stiff." They all line up and jump one at a time before I am the only one left and quickly follow knowing the net will catch me.

When I get back on the ground I see that the initiates have been divided between Dauntless-born and transfer and snarl a bit when I notice Four is in charge of the transfers. He takes them on a tour of headquarters as I go to find Max and report how many new initiates we have.

"There are going to be some changes to what we have them do." He says as I stand in front of his desk. "No conceding in fights, they go until one can't anymore. When they get to the second phase you have to keep a sharp eye looking for any Divergents that may have slipped through the system, any that we find need to be sent to see Jeanine as soon as possible." I nod and he waves me away.

Max is the real leader of Dauntless, but since our rules say that we can't have just one or an even number of leaders he has to technically share power, but everyone knows that's not really what happens. So I make my way down to the cafeteria for lunch and when I get there I see the new initiates are already eating, the room quiets when I enter and admittedly it feels nice to know that the faction fears me enough but at the same time I wish they wouldn't. Not anymore.

I find Four sitting at a table with initiates including the Stiff, the Candor girl is talking and I can see Four's mouth move to answer her but they all stop when I work my way over and sit down. "Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" My head inclines towards the girls and I wait for Four.

"This is Tris and Christina."

"Ooh, a Stiff. We'll see how long you last." I don't want her to be kicked out of initiation but I honestly don't know if she will make it, she looks too trusting and weak. After a moment I decide to not focus on her and face frontwards again. "What have you been doing lately, Four?"

"Nothing, really." He responds but I know he's lying. I know he's been suspicious about me and what I've been doing but I can't let him know that, not yet.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Tris look between the two of us trying to figure out what's going on, I decide to keep talking and keep my focus on the rival before me bringing up that Max keeps trying to set up meetings with him but he never shows up. Eventually I get the information that I need from Four and go to leave not sparing another glance at the table.

I'm not hungry so I leave the room and make my way to the apartment I have in the Pire. Because I'm a faction leader I get one of the nicer apartments all to myself which is helpful because what I'm doing isn't something others need to see.

Notes and papers cover the face of my table, plans for an attack on Abnegation set up by Jeanine Matthews the leader of Erudite. I've known for a while that she was planning something but only recently was I filled in completely and as I look over the notes telling me what I need to do, I have mixed feelings.

The next night I wander around the Pit watching the faces of my faction and talk to a few people, but from across the cavern I see blonde hair bobbing through the crowd to a store. I keep walking and end up close to the store when she emerges, she's in new clothes that hug her figure and black surrounds her eyes tastefully. I can see that she's uncomfortable showing so much of her body but after she realizes that no one is reprimanding or staring at her she starts to walk more confidently with her friend to the tattoo parlor.

Chewing on my bottom lip I pull one of the piercings between my teeth, my first two weeks at Dauntless I got several piercings and tattoos trying to show the rest of the initiation class that I was more Dauntless than any of them. It worked in making others afraid of me and now that I'm a leader the fact that I look like I belong here is important. I see a lot of the initiates spending their free time in the Pit but I don't want to be surrounded by them so I leave and head up to the roof.

The cool air hits my face and I breathe deeply but my mind starts racing.

_Is this something I really want?_

_What happens if it doesn't work?_

_Jeanine will have me killed._

I'm out there for hours before I decide to try and sleep, I have initiates to look over tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Eric**

The first round of fights goes by quickly and I can't help but notice that there a few okay fighters in the transfer class, but since there's an odd number Tris gets to sit out of fighting for the day. She's not ready for a fight anyway and even thought I know Four is the one who have her the reprieve I try not to think about him favoring her.

The mat is covered in sweat and blood as the initiates punch and kick at each other, I can tell they're sore from the training and that this probably isn't helping but they try anyway knowing that if they fail they could be kicked out. When Four helps Will out of the training room to the infirmary it means that I'm in charge and the tension in the room is palpable, none of them like me and most of them fear me.

But then the annoying Candor girl Tris is friends with fights and tries to concede from the fight. When they started I let them know that conceding wasn't an option this year in training so I have to show them that I'm not kidding. Telling the group to follow me and I push Christina to the railing.

"Climb over it." Her eyes widen and I try not to show any emotion but she questions me. "Climb over the railing, if you can hang over the chasm for five minutes, I will forget your cowardice. If you can't, I will not allow you to continue initiation."

She climbs over and hangs there but I see the terror in her face and that she has something to say but keeps her mouth closed. I hear the beep of a watch timer being set and the initiates are silent for a minutes. Then Tris and the rest of their friends start calling out to Christina telling her to hang on and after the five minutes are up someone yells to me. But I check my watch to make sure and take my time, "Fine," I say finally. "You can come up, Christina."

When others go to help her up I stop them but I'm reminded that I never said that she had to climb back up on her own and take a step back allowing the large initiate to pull her up and for Tris to support her.

Leaving them there I walk to the roof top and try to clear my mind.

I am hated, I know I am. Normally, that wouldn't bother me but the idea of Tris hating me so ruthlessly makes me angry for some reason. I don't want _her_ to hate me at least, she's not scared of the initiation process anyway.

By the time I realize I'm hungry it's time for dinner anyway and I work my way down to the cafeteria and grab some food before leaving quickly. Jeanine and Max have been meeting more and more frequently throughout initiation and some of the transfers have seen her come and go from headquarters but they don't know why, and are smart enough to not ask.

Tonight, she and Max are in his office discussing a few of the more intimate parts of their plan and no one else is allowed in with them but something feels off about the whole thing and I try not to think about it too much.

If anyone knew what I was doing everything would be different, I had to reinvent myself here at Dauntless and worked hard to prove myself and eventually get into a leadership position which made my superiors happy. Now I have to make a choice and no matter what I do, I end up on someone's shit list.

Initiation goes on, the transfers continue to beat each other up and shoot at targets but the day that I show up and the board says Tris against Peter I feel my stomach drop. Trying to hide my irritation that those names are next to each other I lean against the wall, Four stands next to me calling out the pairings and when he gets to Peter and Tris I stand away from the wall and start to tap my foot nervously.

She's gotten stronger and has learned how to fight better but is still weak, Peter will break her. When they stand on the mat he starts to taunt her and he gets what he wants when she kicks towards his side. Peter grabs her leg and Tris is on the ground, the thud of her body hitting the mat makes me feel sick but I can't say or do anything, instead I watch as she scrambles around and stands again.

"Stop playing with her, I don't have all day." I call out, I really wanted to tell him to stop beating up on her so much because she's practically helpless but I can't have anyone saying she's favored. It's only a minute later that she's on the ground again there is blood all over her face, Four storms off without another word and Tris starts to black out.

"Enough!" I say strolling to the mat and look down at her, Peter looks drunk on victory. "That's enough for the day. Good job." I mumble towards him as I pick up Tris' lifeless body and carry her to the infirmary myself. "Tomorrow you all will be going to the fence with Four, he's going to try and teach you about the jobs Dauntless do out there. Be at the train at eight fifteen."

When I get there I set her carefully on a bed and notice that her blood is on my shirt sleeve, I go to get a wet cloth to wipe her face but I notice her friends are in the doorway.

"Is she going to be okay?" Christina asks worrying too much about her friend to care about who she's talking to.

I don't say anything and instead leave the infirmary and head to my apartment to change out of the bloody shirt which I just throw on the floor. I've never been incredibly clean, in fact I live more in mess than not and while that might disgust some people living alone means that I don't have to worry about it and I don't get enough visitors to care.

The next morning, while the initiates are out at the fence Max and I have a meeting with the other Dauntless leaders going over the plan that Jeanine has come up with. I end up messing around with one of my lip rings the entire time Max is speaking and try to remember as much as I can. After an hour we leave the office and I go to my own writing as much of the plan down as I remember. When I'm done writing everything down I go out to the roof top, but I'm not alone.

"What are you doing up here?" It's the softest my voice has been since I got to Dauntless which shocks me.

Tris stares up at me and I see her body tense. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"You don't have to be sorry," She turns towards the door. "And you don't have to leave." Her eyes widen and then quickly narrow. "Are you alright? You took a beating yesterday."

She looks worried at my sudden concern but softens when she looks at my face. "I feel a little better thanks to those pain killers."

"Yeah, they try to knock you out so the bruises don't feel as bad the next day."

Looking at me leaning against the wall of the roof and stare out at the city. "You lost a fight in initiation?"

"Only one, I was undefeated until I went up against Four. He beat the hell out of me and I had to spend some time in the infirmary, the pain meds were awesome." I tried to keep my eyes on the city but could see her out of the corner of my eye. "So, what's on your mind?"

Getting ready to respond, I noticed Tris falter. "It's just something personal. I can't really talk about it."

"I can help you Tris, I might come off as some scary guy but if you needed anything I would be willing to help you."

Again, I see her thinking about whether or not to trust me. "How can I tell if you're being serious and you won't do something to get me kicked out of Dauntless?"

_Get her kicked out of Dauntless?_ Is that what she thinks of me, that I would do something so horrible? "I would never do something like that."

"I'm sorry, I just can't trust you." With that she turns and heads back inside leaving me on the roof alone.

Leaving and heading down for lunch I realize again that people stare when I walk in as if they're trying to figure out what kind of mood I'm in and when I don't take a second look they continue with their conversations.

But I notice everything.

The way that Four stormed out during Tris and Peter's fight, the way that he looks at her, and the help he's been giving her hoping no one would notice. But I did and for some reason it bothers me.

Scanning the room I notice Tris sitting with her friends eating and smiling. I grab some food and leave back to my office and try not to think too much about the roof top.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Eric**

I admit that during capture the flag I want nothing more than to have Tris on my team, but I try not to pick her first and instead Four gets her. And when they win I'm upset at losing to Four again and happy that Tris was the one to make the plan.

The train ride home is tense with the different teams and I notice that Tris isn't there. "Where's your initiate?" I ask Four noticing that most of the Dauntless born are missing but only one transfer.

"Zip lining, the Dauntless born were impressed with her plan so they asked her to come." He shrugs but I know that heights bother him and he's worried that she might get hurt.

I think that she'll be just fine.

The next few weeks are more of the same, training continues and I keep watching as Tris grows stronger and some of the others notice.

"If you ever come near me again, I will kill you!" Tris yells during breakfast one day and the large initiate starts to cry silently. "You are a _coward_."

Max stands with me in the food line one side of his mouth turns up in a smile. "Wonder what happened there."

"Looks like she has it under control, whatever it is."

When leaves to sit Four finds me and casually starts asking what would be done if three initiates had tried to throw another into the chasm, assuming it's Tris I try not to look upset and instead tell him that it sounds like a problem with the initiates instructor keeping them under control.

"I heard you were almost thrown off the chasm last night." I see her body tense with the question and there are bruises on her neck. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up like that, I just wanted to see if you were okay."

It takes a minute for her to relax again before she turns towards me. "I'm sore from them hitting me and a bit freaked out."

"It's normal to feel that way."

"You don't understand," Her voice shakes and there are tears in her eyes. "They grabbed at me, they touched my body."

Red is all I see, I want to kill them. "What do you mean they touched you?"

"It's nothing like what you're thinking," Blonde hair moves with her as she shakes her head. "They grabbed me and then went back to trying to kill me, but I've never been touched before and it was more traumatic than then trying to kill me honestly."

My hand reaches out and I can't stop it before it covers hers. I can tell she's shocked but doesn't pull away and for a moment we stand together in silence. I know that in Abnegation they don't kiss or have sex and that holding hands is even considered an intimate act, and for someone to be touched in a way they're uncomfortable with is the worst thing for someone in that faction and even though Tris is no longer Abnegation her core values are still there.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

The question takes me off guard and I pull my hand off of hers, I hadn't even considered the answer for myself let alone explain it to her. "You're more Dauntless than I am, you belong here more than any of the others and I'll be surprised if you're not first in the initiation class. But there's something about you that I can't put my finger on and it draws me to you."

Maybe I said too much and the fact that she's looking at anything but me doesn't help that feeling, she doesn't say anything and instead of making it weird I leave heading out to dinner.

But later that day when we pull Al's body out of the chasm I feel sick to my stomach because I'm happy he's realized what he did. I feel sick again when Max tells me I have to officiate his funeral in the Pit that night and say a bunch of shit about how brave he was for pioneering the unknown, so I drink more than I should.

"Something wrong?" Bud has done all of my tattoos and I realize that it's been awhile since I've gotten one, so I drunkenly stumble into the parlor and sit in the empty chair.

"Just trying to figure some shit out." I reply knowing it sounds dumb, but I need something painful to keep my mind off of everything that has happened. I pick out a design and take my right shoe off exposing the skin and let Bud get to work.

When I get to bed that night my foot is throbbing from the tattoo and I'm mostly sober, but my mind is still foggy.

Why does Tris affect me so much? Should I really be attracted to someone who is so rebellious, when I'm tasked with finding people just like that within Dauntless and have them removed?

I fall asleep thinking about what I need to do, and come up with nothing.

But when I wake up, I realize it's right before dawn and decide to watch the sun rise from the roof. When I get there I notice Tris is sitting in the middle of the roof top wrapped in a blanket. "Good morning," She smiles and motions for me to come sit with her. "You're up early."

"I could say the same to you. Why are you out here right now?"

"Couldn't sleep, decided to watch the sunrise."

We sit together in silence for a little bit watching light break through. "Tris, I need your help with something." She turns her head toward me and I can see that she's still tired. "But first I need you to know that whatever happens I'm not going to let you get hurt, understand?"

"What's going on Eric?"

"Dauntless and Erudite are working together to take Abnegation down. There's a serum that everyone is going to be injected with, divergents are going to be rounded up and taken to Jeanine Matthews to experiment on. I know that you're divergent Tris, so I need your help but I need you to do whatever it takes so that we're not found out." Her mouth is puckered like she ate something sour and I can't tell if she wants to scream or cry. Maybe both. "I was told to switch to Dauntless and become a leader so that I could be an in with Jeanine, she and Max have been working together for years on this and the only reason I agreed was so she didn't hurt my little sister. But obviously I don't think she's right and I want her to be stopped, I need help."

"How did you know?" My brow furrows and I can't tell which part she's asking about. "How did you know I'm divergent?"

"Your test results were manually entered, I was told to keep an eye on you specifically and when Four deleted one of the practice runs for your fear landscape I figured it out. You're doing well at hiding it from everyone else and I probably wouldn't have noticed unless I had been told about it." She's my best chance at saving everyone, and my best chance at redemption.

She doesn't speak for a while, and by the time she does the sun is already working its way up past the skyline. "What do we have to do?"

"No one can know we're working together, not even your friends. But if you're divergent then the serum won't work on you and you'll be able to do what needs to be done and that's to help take down Jeanine and Max."

"Can't we ask anyone else to help? There has to be more people in Dauntless that you can trust with this. I'm still just an initiate."

I smile, "You're not _just_ anything Tris. But like I said, no one can know we're working together on this so if there's someone you can trust with this that you know will help fine, but they can't know I'm the one who told you."

Agreeing we both stand and brush ourselves off. Without a word we walk down the stairs and towards the dining area, Tris grabs my hand and squeezes it before walking in.

I know exactly who she's going to tell and even though I don't like it, I can't stop it.

**A/N: So obviously there's some changes from the book (considering the pairing that should have been figured out) so don't hate me that it's there.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Tris**

I have to tell Tobias about what's going on, I know that he's divergent too and that even though his father is still there he will want to help save Abnegation. So I pull him aside one night and ask if there's somewhere we can talk, he pulls me to his apartment and I tell him what's going on.

"How did you hear about all of this?" His arms are crossed over his chest and his eyes squinted.

"I can't tell you, but I promise that whoever told me isn't lying. They need to stay out of this so they can keep getting information from Erudite." Chances are, he already knows who it is but I'm hoping that he thinks it's Caleb. "We need your help Tobias, we need to save Abnegation from being wiped out."

Reluctantly he unfolds his arms and I hear a sigh. "What do we do it?"

The plan isn't exactly complete, because we don't know how things are going to happen but I tell Tobias everything I can before we have to leave for dinner. When we get there I lock eyes with Eric and nod once before turning quickly to sit with my back towards him.

There's no way the rest of my friends are divergent, Christina would have known because Candor don't lie and she has no filter when she speaks, Will throws himself into whichever faction he's in first Erudite and now Dauntless, and Uriah is all Dauntless.

There is no one else I can ask for help with this plan.

That night, when everyone else is asleep I walk out to the roof and find Eric there waiting.

"So, you asked Four for help?"

"I know you guys don't get along, but he deserves to know since he's from Abnegation." The first time I ever looked at Eric I was terrified. The muscles bursting out of his shirt sleeves, his height, the tattoos, and the piercings all made him someone that I didn't want to even be in the same room with. But his eyes, and the malice that was in them, was something that made me physically cringe away.

Until now.

Now I see that he's a softer person, someone who cares about others, someone who cares about me.

He shrugs and shoves his hands deep into his pockets. "I trust your judgment, and besides I asked you for help so whatever you need to do to get it is fine."

"I didn't tell him it was you who let me know, I'm hoping he thinks it's my brother. Either way it might not be safe to meet up like this so often." I want to see more of Eric if anything, but we can't risk being discovered together in case they already think I'm divergent. "We might have to think of a different way to talk."

If he's upset by this he doesn't show it and I notice just how good of an actor he is. "Notes." He says finally running a hand through his hair. "We can write notes, leave them in a place no one would think to look and not use names."

He tells me about a hallway next to the drinking fountain where a brink is loose and we can put the notes there. I realize it's the same hallway my mother led me down on visiting day.

"I was really starting to enjoy these talks too." He says smiling sadly and before I know it my arms are wrapped around his torso.

Eric is tall, but not much taller than me and my head rests right below his chin. His arms are large with muscle and I can feel his biceps when his arms circle around me, his toned chests rises and falls with each breath, and I can feel his strong heartbeat.

"Tomorrow you'll become a real member of Dauntless." He says quietly and I realize that he sounds worried. "Remember, whatever happens I won't let you get hurt." Nodding into his chest he takes a deep breath. "Tomorrow, after the initiation ceremony they're going to inject everyone in Dauntless with the serum and say it's a tracking chip. You have to let them or they'll get suspicious, but you won't be affected by it. When we get to Abnegation find your parents and get them out of there, then we need to find Jeanine."

"What will you do?

"I have to act my part and be with Max making sure everything goes according to plan, if they see you acting like you're not following everyone else they will kill you Tris so you have to be careful." His grip loosens and he leans away from me, without any warning his lips cover mine.

It's my first kiss, and honestly I don't know what to do but when his lips move against mine it feels more natural than anything else. My hands grip at his shirt and I stand up on my toes taking away come of the height he has on me, our bodies are pressed together and Eric's hands are on my hips steadying me. But before we can deepen it any further he breaks away and takes a step back, which seems like he's not interested in the kiss but a few seconds later the door opens.

"What are you doing?" Tobias calls but I'm not sure if it's directed at me or at Eric.

"The initiate here was found jumping off the train, looks like she left headquarters without an escort." I look up and see that Eric has what I call his leader face on and realize that I should not be looking at him so my eyes drop and I shove my hands into my pockets. "Do you know what this means initiate?" Pinching my leg hard I feel the tears well in my eyes and blink to let them fall down my cheeks, I know that there will be a bruise on my thigh tonight but it has to look real.

"Leave her alone Eric, it's an act of stupidity."

He turns towards Four and I lift my head so he can see my face. "This _stupidity_ is something that she could get kicked out of Dauntless for. She made a conscience choice to leave without permission and without an escort."

"Why'd you do it Tris?" Tobias' soft voice is full of concern, but I have to pretend.

"I just got scared, so I went to see my brother."

"Have you ever heard of _faction before blood_?" Eric yells, his hands are balled into fists and I see it's him trying to act menacing in front of Four.

"Give her a break," Four rolls his eyes. "She's just scared let it go."

"Someone at the top of their initiate class doesn't make stupid choices like this." But Eric storms off towards the door, when he reaches it he turns and winks at me and leaves the roof.

Tobias runs towards me and wipes the tears from my face. "Are you okay?"

I nod and continue wiping my face. "He just yelled at me."

"You went to see your brother?" I nod again. "What did he say?"

"I've been told that tomorrow everyone will be injected with a serum but I don't know when it will be activated." I hate telling him mistruths, but I can't let Tobias know that it's Eric I'm working with. Not yet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Eric**

Leaving Tris with Four makes me angry because I know that he likes her, but I couldn't let him see how I was looking at her. I knew that today was probably the last chance I would get to show her that I cared and why so I took the chance and kissed her. I never expected her to kiss me back, but when I heard someone turning the door I knew I had to pull away.

I meet with Max before the initiation ceremony the morning after the kiss and try not to think about Tris, I need to keep focused on stopping the simulation from happening, and the only way I know how is to kill him and Jeanine.

"Ten weeks ago you came to us as initiates, and after ten weeks of training here are your results." The board lights up with the top ten names and I see Tris' friends jumping with excitement when her name is in the first spot. "Welcome new members of Dauntless!" Max's voice echoes throughout the room but it drowned out by the cheers of the initiates.

Uriah, a Dauntless born jumps over to her and shakes her around jumping and screaming. I see Peter deflate at his name being beside the number two, and I see Four standing behind Tris whispering in her ear. I try to keep smiling and not show that his hugging her bothers me, but it does.

"We are going to implant each Dauntless with a tracking device," I call out to the room making everyone quiet down as much as possible. "It's just a precaution. Make four lines and we can get started."

There are conversations everywhere, and most aren't about what is going on. I know that the new members will celebrate tonight and I hope they enjoy themselves because it might be the last time.

Tris is standing in the middle of the room turning to look for someone, so I take a syringe and walk over to her. "Good job," I say to her. "First in your class. You're cut out for leadership Stiff." Her eyes flitter to the side and Max is walking towards us. "Let me help you with this tracking device."

Brushing her hair out of the way and feeling her shudder against my touch before I insert the needle into her neck. She winces against the feeling of the serum and the chip. "Ow." She hisses between her teeth and grabs the spot I just stabbed.

"Hurts doesn't it?" I ask trying to give her a sympathetic look before she turns and walks away.

Max is next to me a minute later his arms crossed across his chest. "They get activated tomorrow morning, meet in the Pit at seven." With a nod from me he walks away and I leave to my apartment.

Writing a quick note to Tris that simple says _Tomorrow._ I place it behind the loose brick and race back out to meet with the leaders for late preparations.

After dinner I check the brick and see the note is gone, breathing a sigh of relief I go to the Pit and get a bottle of alcohol and stand on the bridge above the chasm drinking it. The new members are all drunk and getting tattoos and piercings showing their change to full Dauntless members and I'm a little sad that they won't get to experience it for much longer.

Half the bottle is gone and my head is starting to feel fuzzy, I watch the rest of the faction wander around the Pit but I don't see Tris. Sitting on the bridge and letting my legs dangle off I continue watching and drinking until the Pit starts to empty.

"Mind if I sit?" Tris lowers herself down next to me slowly peering over the edge. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Drinking near the chasm probably isn't a good idea."

Tris takes the bottle from my hand gingerly and puts it to her lips, I watch as she takes a mouthful and swallows and as her face contorts with the taste. "What is this?"

"It's just the alcohol they sell here, I don't know what it is." I shrug and let her keep the bottle. "I don't drink that often anyway."

We sit together for a few minutes and I watch Tris take a few more sips before she hands me the bottle and stands. I stand with her and take the chance to really look at her once more.

"I'll see you in the morning." She says playing with the hem of her shirt and I lean down to press my lips against hers quickly hoping no one saw.

"See you." I watch her walk away and continue drinking on the way to my apartment, but when I get there Four is standing at the door. "What do you want?"

He pushes away from the wall he was leaning on and looks me in the eye. "I saw you kiss Tris over the chasm."

"And what are you going to do about it?" I don't want him to think that he can threaten me.

Shockingly, he shakes his head and runs a hand over his hair. "Nothing, it's not my choice to make and if Tris is okay with you then there must be a side of you that only she knows. But I want you to know that I beat you before and if you hurt her in any way I will beat you again."

I open the door to my apartment and motion for Four to follow me inside. "I'm not going to hurt her, at all." I set the bottle on the table and throw my jacket on the floor. "I'm the one who's been telling Tris about the simulation and what's going to happen to Abnegation, I couldn't let anyone know but she told you so there's no reason to hide it."

"I thought Caleb was the one telling her all of this?"

"No, it was me. She didn't even go to see Caleb yesterday she was meeting me on the roof so I could tell her what was going on but we couldn't let you see us be civil with each other." Four looks confused but I keep going. "I like her Four, that's why I've been watching the training so hard recently. And I knew she was divergent and I needed help to make this stop."

"Why would you want to help Abnegation?"

Dropping on the bed I start to unlace my boots and let them hit the floor one after the other. "It's not about helping Abnegation, it's about keeping the faction system from destroying itself. All five factions have worked together for so long and it's worked so take one of them completely out of the equation could be entirely detrimental to the whole city!"

"You're right." This is the first time that Four and I have spoken like colleagues since we met. "So what do we do about it?"

"Tris won't be affected by the serum when it's activated so she has to find Jeanine and make it stop, I'll be with Max so he's taken care of."

"She won't be the only one awake." My eyes dart up quickly. "I'm divergent too."

There wasn't a single time I ever thought that Four was divergent, but he did really well during the second and third phases of initiation. "So you'll be awake too. This is perfect."

Together we spend the next hour fine tuning parts of the plan before Four leaves and I fall asleep for a few hours. When I wake up the sun is shining through my window and even though I'm late I write a quick note to Tris reminding her to do whatever it takes and telling her to be careful. Pulling the brick out of the spot I notice there's a piece of folded paper in there already.

_Be safe._ Is all it says but I know who it's from. I put the paper in my pocket and stalk off towards the Pit to meet the other leaders and wait for the simulation to begin.

Peter and a few Erudites are there already talking in quiet voices and when I walk in I notice that Peter starts to emulate my movements. If I stand with my legs shoulder width apart so does he, if I cross my arms so does he, and if I lace my fingers in front of me so does he. It's almost like he's simulated to act just like me but he isn't because when others talk to him he's himself again.

It's about half an hour before Max arrives and in that time I start making unnatural movements hoping that Peter continues copying me and for the first few he does but starts to catch on that I'm making him a puppet and stops. His face gets red and when I stare at him for once the coldness in my eyes isn't an act, I hate him.

The Erudite leave us and go to the control room and Peter leaves to go wherever he's supposed to be, and soon the Dauntless start marching into the Pit with blank stares.

"They can see and hear us but their minds aren't processing what's going on the same as ours." Max explains as we watch each group march to a table and pick up a vest, then march to the next table and pick up a gun, and finally march out to the train platform. I find Tris easily enough in one of the train cars farther back and I see she's with Four, luckily both of them are staring straight ahead the same as everyone else because Max realizes who I'm fixed on. "You'll be able to get rid of him soon enough. It's a shame though, I wish he would have joined us and your stupid feud could be over." I risk taking one last look at the two of them and follow the rest of the leaders to the first car.

When the train stops and the army starts to exit the train I can already hear a few of the Abnegation gasping and yelling for children. They know that we're coming for them. Hopefully Tris' family is safely out of the area but I notice her finding a specific house and checking anyway, when she comes out with Four and they start walking towards us Max nudges my arm and nods.

I stop Four with a hand on his chest and keep the smirk on my face because Max is watching. "The legendary Four," I say keeping Max's eyes on me and hoping he doesn't notice that Tris stopped behind me. "Now you're just a mindless drone like the rest of them. Say goodbye, asshole."

"Good bye."

Tris has her gun pointed at me and while my gun is pointed at Four, his gun is pointed at Max. "Pull the trigger and you die." He says making Max drop his gun.

"The Stiff?" I have to pretend that I know nothing about her and Four being Divergent. "Two Stiffs."

"You can't let a single Divergent slip through the cracks." The scowl on Max's face is ugly and I try not to laugh.

"You're not going to shoot me Stiff." I nod a fraction of an inch and point my eyes down towards my left foot.

"I think you're overestimating my moral character." She shoots.

As the run Max and I start shooting at them, and while I'm missing on purpose he's aiming to kill. Luckily when he hits a target it's only a graze on Tris' shoulder.

Max is furious and my foot is in more pain than I've ever known, but somehow we move and I watch as the two of them are captured and taken to Jeanine.

I can only hope that she's safe and that Jeanine won't kill her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Eric**

While my foot is being bandaged I make a show of asking what happened to Tris and Four and I'm told that Four was taken to Dauntless headquarters to be tested while Tris was executed.

My face falls, I can feel it happen and I can't stop it. I play it off as a loss of blood but I know someone doesn't believe me.

I'm taken back to Erudite since I can't walk and there's no way I can jump off a moving train right now and while I'm being patched up I can't help but thinking of Tris and if she's alive. I don't have to worry for too long because someone in the room gets a phone call from Jeanine that the simulation was erased. I heave a sigh of relief and when the person is off the phone I ask who was responsible.

"The divergent rebels from Dauntless that were brought in about an hour ago, they put Jeanine under the sim and had her erase everything. You might want to get out of here before the rest of the faction try to find you and." I nod and pull my boot on running out of the room and towards the train.

Four and I decided that once everything was done we would meet on the train in the third car and go from there. At that point whoever else is in the car doesn't matter. I see the train coming and run to the platform in time to catch the right car and jump in.

My foot is throbbing in pain and I open another vial of pain killer serum and down it. I watch the city fly past through the door and wait until we get close to Dauntless. When I near Dauntless I see a small group and when I see the blonde ponytail of Tris I jump up and run to the door.

I help each one in the car and receive a clap on the shoulder from Four and a strong hug from Tris. She's trying not to look at the others and I can feel her body shaking. "Hey," I whisper rubbing circles on her back. "Hey it's alright, we're safe for now." Peter is sitting as far away from everyone as possible, his arm is bleeding and I know he brokered a deal to stay safe with the group. There are two others in the car that I don't know, the first is a young guy staring at me hard from the opposite side of the train car, I assume he's Tris' brother. The other is Marcus Easton, Four's dad, and he's trying to get Four to turn and talk to him. Something must have happened.

"My parents died today." Each breath shakes her body and I hold her closer planting a kiss on her forehead every few seconds.

"I'm so sorry." I say and I feel her hands grasp at my shirt. "You have your brother though."

She laughs into my chest. "I don't really want to have him right now."

"You have me, too." And for the first time since she got on the train her head lifts and our eyes meet. I lean down and place a kiss on her lips tenderly trying not to hurt her.

"I'm not sure why you're still holding onto me, I shot you."

My arms tighten around her and I can't help but laugh. "Yeah it hurts but I stole a _lot_ of pain killers before I left so I'm good for a little bit. Do you need one for your arm?"

"No, it's not that bad. You need them more than I do." She pulls me down to sit against the wall and I pull her in front of me so she's sitting between my legs.

"Don't be a hero Tris, if you're in pain I can spare a vial." But she just leans back against me and I kiss her cheek.

Four is still leaning out of the open door across the car with his father already giving up on trying to talk to him. But Tris' brother is still staring at me and when I feel her shoulders sag and breathing even out he makes his way over and sits to my left.

"I'm Caleb, Beatrice's brother." He says trying not to wake her.

"I'm Eric."

He nods and I keep my arms wrapped around her small frame making sure she's not too cold.

"Listen, you have to understand something about Beatrice."

I look over at Caleb and try to see the similarities between them, there aren't many except that they're close in age. "What I need to understand about _Tris_ I already know." I can tell the piercings and tattoos are intimidating to him and I'm hoping he realizes that the three of us aren't to be messed with. "She is much stronger than when she left Abnegation. I was a leader in Dauntless and asked _her_ for help, she is special and whatever you think I have to understand about her is unlikely to still be true now."

He seems to understand what I'm saying and with a nod he returns to his original seat and Four takes his place.

"Thanks." I say before he can speak. "Abnegation would be gone without your help."

"It would be gone if you hadn't told us, so I guess I need to thank you for that." He doesn't seem hurt but his knuckles are bruised. "Listen, I know that I have even less of a reason to tell you about Tris than Caleb over there," His hands clasp and unclasp in front of him. "But, I was with her during all of this. She is focused on saving everyone but herself Eric, you need to keep an eye on her or she might do something reckless."

I feel her breathing and wish that I could take my jacket off to cover her but can't without waking her. "You and I have been at odds with each other for the past two years, I want to work together now and leave all that behinds us." His head turns towards me and I can feel his confusion.

"Alright, we're going to need each other anyway. Might as well keep the fighting between us to a minimum." He stands and goes over to his dad and sitting in silence.

We're on the train for an hour and Tris sleeps almost the entire time, I gently shake her awake and we move towards the rest of the group.

"Our best bet is to go to Amity, they're going to remain impartial to all of this." Four was always great at planning what to do.

"I am old friends with Johanna Reyes as well," Marcus adds not noticing his son close his eyes in frustration. "She will be able to help us."

"You think they changed the fence codes?" I ask Four and he shrugs. "Let's hope not, there's no way we can go back to Dauntless now."

When we finally make it to the Amity headquarters I'm limping and although Tris tries to help me I'm still much bigger than she is and it feels like I'm going to crush her. Thankfully when we get inside I'm able to sit and pull my now blood soaked boot off.

"Eric we need to clean your foot, now." Tris asks Caleb to go find some water and towels and he bolts off down the hallway to find someone. When he returns there's an Amity guy with him carrying medical supplies and they get to work on my foot, once he's done I ask him to look at Tris' arm.

"I'm fine." She says batting him away.

"You were shot. Let him take a look at it." Not taking her eyes off mine Tris concedes and lets him stitch her arm up. Once he's done she pulls a chair over and sits with me, our hands are entwined with each other's and Caleb is staring at me again but I really don't care.

"I'm so happy you're not badly injured." I whisper to her.

"I'm sorry again about shooting you."

For some reason Caleb jumps to life at that. "You _shot_ him Beatrice!"

Her eyes meet his with a look I can only assume means she wants him to shut up.

"I told her to," I say but that only confuses him more. "I needed her to make the struggle realistic."

Caleb shakes his head and doesn't ask any more questions until Four walks in. "I have good news and I have bad news."

"Bad news first." We all agree that the good news should be told second. Even Peter walks over to us.

"We're all wanted by Erudite." That was a given, of course they would want us dead. "But the good news is that Jeanine and Max have been taken into custody and there isn't any more fighting."

"How were they captured?" I look at Caleb a little more closely than I did before, he's in Abnegation grey but I remember Tris telling me that he transferred to Erudite.

"Once the sim was turned off the Dauntless rallied together and took over. They're both at Dauntless headquarters right now under guard." Everything seems lighter somehow; the pressure that was sitting in my chest is gone. "The Erudite that were involved are also being held under guard in a conference room at their headquarters."

Tris is sitting up straight next to me but her hands are still holding mine. "We have to go back."

Everyone agrees and I open another vial of pain killers and pull my boot back on. "What's going to happen to the Erudite faction?"

Four shrugs, "I guess they'll just have to use truth serum to figure out which Erudite weren't involved and make them leaders or something. It's really up to them and I don't care."

I keep Caleb in my peripheral vision to gauge his reaction to the news but I can't tell for sure what he's thinking.

We are taken back to Dauntless by an Amity truck and the entire time I feel my stomach dropping.

"What's wrong?" Tris asks as we go through the fence.

"I had to act like a heartless asshole to everyone in Dauntless, I was a spy. What do you think the rest of our faction is going to think of me?" I close my eyes and let my hair fly around in the wind. "What if they want to execute me?"

I feel her tense beside me and just as quickly untense. "I won't let that happen. You saved our lives Eric, you told us what was going to happen." I don't believe her but I nod and let the rest of the trip go by in silence.

When we get to Dauntless and I hobble through the hallways to the Pit with the rest of them we are met with both cheer and outrage. People are screaming and I see Tris' friends run over to her and throw their arms around her while simultaneously keeping a wary eye on me. Christina, will, and Uriah all encircle her and check her arm where the blood is.

"Are you guys alright?" She asks checking each one, Will's arm is in a sling and I hear Tris apologizing.

"It's fine, I understand. Better than shooting me in the head." She hugs him around the neck and backs away to make sure I'm still standing.

Four is standing on a table at the front of the room and he motions for us to join him, when we do the Dauntless are uncharacteristically quiet. "First of all, Jeanine and Max will be taken care of as well as the rest of the Erudite and Dauntless who helped." The cheers are deafening. "Second, we as a faction need to elect new leaders. The only surviving leader right now is Eric, you don't know it but he's the one who saved all of us." The silence continues and I stare straight ahead. "He is the one who told us about the simulation and what was going to happen, we were able to stop it before too many were seriously injured."

He steps back and I take the hint to move forward. "Most of you know that before transferring to Dauntless I was in Erudite. Jeanine, being the leader chose a few of us to transfer over a few years and go through initiation in an effort to gain a leadership position and start planting the idea of getting rid of Abnegation as well the divergents. I did not agree with those ideals at all and simply went along with them so that my little sister would be safe, I asked Tris and Four for help since they were Abnegation and would know where to go when we got to that section of the city. Luckily the simulation was stopped and all data erased thanks to Four and Tris." Applause and cheering fill the Pit.

Four stands next to me. "I nominate for Eric to remain a leader of Dauntless." Everyone claps agreeing.

"I nominate Four to be a leader." I call out and I hear the faction agree again. "Any other nominations?"

"Tris!" Christina must have called it out but everyone agrees.

We look at each other on the table and I see the other two nod. "Are there any other nominations?" The room is quiet. "Is there anyone here that does not agree with any of the three of us being leaders?" Again, the room is quiet. "It's settled then. Let's rebuild Dauntless."

I sit down as everyone gets to work and feel Four and Tris sit with me.

"I'm going to have to go through the control room and make sure no one is going to be working with Erudite." He says. "We should probably get some truth serum from Candor and test it on everyone."

"I'll see if Christina can help us get some." Tris says and we notice the Dauntless nurse coming towards us.

"Your foot is leaking blood Eric," She says and I take off my boot showing her to bullet hole. "You need to get to the infirmary so I can make sure there isn't any severe damage."

I kiss Tris and feel Four's hand on my shoulder before I leave. I'm still a leader, but this time is going to be different.

**A/N: I hope everyone is okay with the changes I made. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Tris**

The following week at Dauntless is spent with the new members moving into their apartments and finding jobs. Four, Eric, and I get truth serum from Candor and ask Jack Kang, their leader down to our headquarters to help with investigating Max and Jeanine.

The rest of Dauntless is asked to be put under the truth serum to help ease the minds of the other factions, the three of us are first and we're found to be fine although I learn that truth serum doesn't work on me.

The others line up and the leaders of each faction stand before them in a private room and ask one question: did you knowingly aid in Erudite's plan to get rid of Abnegation?

Only a few who answer yes and they are taken to be sentenced, but Jeanine and Max have to answer a few more questions. They each spend hours under the truth serum and while we all knew that they were guilty now we know what else they were planning and why they went after Abnegation.

"We have to decide whether we tell the city about this or not." Four's head is in his hands, the leaders of each faction are present but none are talking.

After a long enough time, Jack Kang leans forward and talks about how hiding the truth is lying by omission and therefore not moral.

Marcus Easton's booming voice fills the room with his empty words of protecting the city and everyone in it.

"The faction system hasn't been a problem until Erudite wanted to get rid of the divergents, what if we try to make everyone understand that being divergent isn't a problem in this society?" I finally say. I know that at least three of us in this room are divergent and they know what I mean. "Having to hide in the shadows worried about being killed because your mind works differently is ridiculous, we have a faction system but you can't always make people think one way."

Four is nodding. "Maybe it's more beneficial to have divergents because we can think in more than one way."

"That still doesn't leave us with a plan for what to do with this information."

"Maybe we don't have to decide on what to do with it right now," Eric's voice is low but meaningful. "Let's meet back here in a week or so and see what we've come up with then."

Everyone agrees and leaves back to their headquarters. When the three of us get on the train I spend the ride leaning against the door looking out at the city. The buildings pass by one after the other in a blur but I knew each one.

The Pit is bustling with people but I don't want to be around anyone else so instead I go to my apartment in the Pire and lie face down on the bed. When I was elected as a leader I got one of the better apartments and while it hadn't been used in a while it was comfortable and spacious. The bed was firm just the way I liked it, there were a few dressers that could hold all of the clothes I've ever owned, a bathroom with a full length mirror, and a small kitchenette. It was enough for me to finally feel like I am Dauntless, but I still feel alone.

A knock on the door breaks me out of my thoughts and when I stumble over to the door I see Eric standing in the hall with Four. "May we?" He asks gesturing to the apartment and I open the door wide enough for them to walk through.

There is a small couch and Four takes a seat on it while Eric stays on his feet. "What's wrong?" Their faces are both grim and I know that something has happened.

"Erudite just gave us a list of their members who were involved with eradicating Abnegation."

"How many were on it?"

"Almost one hundred." Four's hands are clasp in front of him and his elbows rest on his knees. "Sit down Tris."

They both know that I'm going to stand until I'm ready and defiantly I cross my arms. "What happened?"

"Your brother is on the list."

The words hit me like a punch in the gut, Caleb was involved in taking down Abnegation. I can feel the angry blush creep up my neck and into my cheeks, my palms start to sweat, and my arms shake. "He said he was involved under the truth serum?" Eric's eyes are locked on mine and I can see the sadness in them as he nods. "There's no way of knowing whether he was able to use a different serum beforehand to negate what the truth serum would do to him?"

"Tris, I'm sorry but Caleb was involved. He said that he-"

"He needs to be the one to tell me." I snap finally uncrossing my arms and finding my hands curled into fists. "I need to hear it from him."

Leaving the two of them in my apartment I run out and have to wait for the train only a little while, when I see the front of the train round the corner I get ready and jump into the second car. Closing my eyes and letting the wind rush over my face I try to think of what I'm going to say to Caleb when I see him.

"You know, you're really reckless sometimes."

"Eric," I wasn't expecting either of them to follow me but I probably should have. "What are you doing?"

He sits beside me and keeps a small distance between our bodies. "Making sure you don't do anything stupid."

It's been only a few weeks since Eric and I started whatever this is and somehow in the midst of chaos I feel calm and happy. I am strong and I am brave but it's nice to know that I can be those things as well as have someone I can depend on. "Thanks." I mumble resting my head on his shoulder.

When we get to Erudite headquarters I notice that there are groups of people watching us and as we're taken up to the cells where Caleb is being held I see them parting for us.

I knew that when I joined Dauntless that I would be noticed, but I never thought that I would go from being a small and weak Abnegation girl to a Dauntless leader. When you wear grey everyone's eyes pass over you as if you're not really there, but when you wear black you demand attention. My long sleeve shirt is cut low enough to show off my collarbone tattoos but not the other two on my shoulders, but even then Erudite stare at the birds as if they are alien.

"You have a visitor." The guard says as he opens Caleb's cell door.

When I step inside the small room I know that my face has a murderous look and even Caleb has the sense to cower. "What are you doing here Beatrice?"

"Tell me." My voice is low and my knuckles are turning white, Eric stands in the doorway taking up the entire frame, whether it's for my protection of Caleb's I can't tell. "Tell me what you said while under the truth serum."

"Beatrice you know I can't."

"TELL ME!"

My brother is silent as he tries to figure out how to tell me the terrible truth. "Beatrice," He stands and keeps himself against the wall. "Abnegation hid from us the entire reason we are here. They kept the reasons that we have factions in the first place from us, they wanted to keep us from knowing the truth!"

"And the truth is more important than our parents being alive?" His face, full of rage only a moment ago, falls and I see tears glisten in his eyes. "You killed them, Caleb. You did this and you let our parents die for one piece of information."

"No, Beatrice I-"

"You will have to live with that for the rest of your miserable life. I am no longer your sister and I don't want to hear from you _ever_ again. If I find out that you're trying to contact me I will hurt you." Not waiting for an answer I turn and see Eric's face filled with a mixture of anger and sadness. "Where's your sister?" I ask him once we're in the hallway.

"Here, safe."

We stalk out of Erudite headquarters in silence, and as soon as I leave the building I start running. Dauntless is on the opposite side of the city but I don't care and I run as hard as I can.

"Tris!" Eric keeps pace with me but we both know it's not good for us to run the entire way home. "Tris, hold on."

Finally I stop and place my hands on my hips, not looking at him my breaths start to even out and the tears I help in for so long start to fall. Sobs rack my body and when he holds me in his arms I don't struggle instead just crying into his shirt until the front is wet. When I'm able to stop crying he doesn't let go and keeps holding onto me for a few minutes longer.

"I'm sorry," I croak wiping my face. "This is just all so ridiculous."

"You're allowed to be upset, but know that there are others who care for you like family."

I nod into his chest and think of my friends in Dauntless. Christina who helped me through initiation and my transformation from Abnegation, Uriah who welcomed me as a friend rather than a transfer, Will who wasn't angry when I shot his arm while he was under the sim, and Four who helped keep me safe and helped stop Abnegation from being eradicated. All of them I would die for and knew that they would do the same for me, maybe they were my family more than Caleb had ever been.

Hand in hand Eric and I walk to the nearest train platform and ride back to headquarters in time for dinner. I find Christina first and hug her harder than I ever have but when she pulls away and sees my blotchy face and swollen eyes she gets worried.

"What the hell happened?" Her fingers are cold against my skin as she wipes away tears that I missed and looks to Eric.

"My brother was part of the plan all along, I just went to see him."

Will and Uriah walked over and suddenly I feel embarrassed. "Did you hit him at least?" Uriah asks ruffling my hair and sitting down.

"No, I figured that would have made him feel better."

I sit with them and eat dinner happy in the fact that they were all trying to make me smile.

"We should play Dauntless or Candor tonight!"

Uriah explains the game and while the majority of us cringe at the idea of it we agree that it would be fun to play.

First, I go to the tattoo parlor and find Tori.

"Hey there stranger," She says pulling a chair out for me. "What do you want done?" I find a picture of an ivy plant and tell her I want it on my ribs. "It's going to hurt."

"Good." I say pulling up my shirt and exposing the skin.

After an hour of work Tori says that she wants to do the rest in another sitting and I agree feeling the pain radiate over my entire torso. Christina is sitting in the Pit with Will and calls me over grabbing onto my hand immediately.

When I joined Dauntless this simple act would have scared me and made me feel embarrassed, but now I know that she's just trying to comfort me and it's not meant to be a private act. "You get a new tattoo?" She asks.

I pull up my shirt to show them the half done work just in time for Eric and Four to walk over.

"That's a lot of ink for a Stiff." Four whistles.

"Look who's talking."

Eric has a bottle of alcohol in one hand and holds the other out for me to take. "We're heading to Uriah's now to play the game."

The rest of the night is spent being stupid with my new family and under the circumstances I couldn't be happier.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Eric**

When the faction leaders finally meet again and start talking about what to do with Max and Jeanine the first thing we agree on is that neither is to be held at Erudite headquarters.

I can see that Tris and Four are bored but try not to show it, unfortunately the fact that both are leaning too far back in their chairs gives it away. After an hour we've decided that they're to be exiled beyond the fence and whatever happens to them happens.

"It's the best thing we can do for the city." Johanna says. "If they're not in the city then how can they affect what we do here?"

"What's the stop them from joining what's beyond the fence and trying to take the city back?"

When we watched the video of Tris' ancestor talk about the experiment a lot of the leaders were upset that we were nothing but pawns, but after talking at length we all realized that this changes nothing in our lives other than what we know. The faction system worked all of our lives so why shouldn't it work now?

"I think we should go ahead with the exile and worry about that _if_ it happens." Johanna is calm and smiles even though her voice sounds a bit sharp. "They will have to pass through Amity farms first anyhow."

It's decided and the following morning the two are set to be exiled beyond the fence while the leaders shut the fence.

Tris leaves the meeting and goes down to the tattoo parlor for another sitting with Tori and when she comes out I notice that her ears are also pierced with a black ball in each ear lobe.

"How's it look?" I ask as she walks over to the ledge I'm sitting on. Lifting her shirt she shows me the finished tattoo which looks awesome and I notice that her stomach muscles are more defined than I thought. "Wow."

"It hurts a lot, Tori wasn't kidding when she said it wouldn't be fun."

I laugh and kiss her. "Nice piercings by the way."

"I figured if I'm going to be a leader I need to look the part."

I'm shocked, when we were elected leaders I thought that meant Tris felt like she was enough to the faction but I guess I was wrong. "Looking the part isn't all there is to it." But I realize that I did the same thing, and Four is doing it too by growing his hair out.

The Pit is always full of people and noise, once I reveled in the silence that followed when I walked in but now I'm glad that no one is terrified of me and now I see them smile in the direction of me and Tris as we walk through hand in hand.

Eventually we end up above the chasm and listen to the rushing water below us, weeks ago I held Christina over this spot and told her to hang for her life or she was out of Dauntless. Now, I hold Tris with her back pressed against my chest and look out.

"You know," I say planting a kiss on the top of her head. "We haven't exactly been on a real date."

She giggles and I feel her turn towards me and slide her arms around my neck. "Are you asking me out?"

Kissing her is like suffocating, my breath constantly hitches in my throat as my lips move across hers and I can feel my lungs deflating. I have to pull away for a moment to catch my breath, our foreheads are pressed together, and my eyes are closed.

"What's wrong?"

I open my eyes and realize that she's staring at me. "Nothing, I just have to catch my breath." Her eyebrows knit together and I laugh. "If I didn't have to breathe I would kiss you all the time."

Her lips are on mine again for another minute before she pulls away and turns so that we are in the original position I was holding her in.

"We should go get something to eat." I pull her with me to the dining room and fill our plates with food before sitting at a table and digging in. We're some of the first people to get there and a few people come up to the table with issues they have that need leadership to interfere and I agree to meet with each person the following day. "You and Four will have to be there as well."

Four arrives shortly after and I fill him in but watch Tris leave dinner early and head towards the training room.

"You have got it bad." He says to me from across the table. "She's going to hit some punching bags if you're wondering what she's up to."

"I wasn't."

"Liar." I shovel more food in my mouth and try to ignore him but Four keeps going. "She's goes with Christina every few days so she can get stronger now that initiation is over."

I know that Four is one of her best friends but I'm suspicious. "How do you know so much about what she's doing?"

"Christina doesn't shut up."

After we finish eating I remind Four that we have leadership stuff to do the following day and leave to find Tris in the training room just as he said.

She stands at a punching bag hitting it over and over again using her elbows and knees as well as fists, Christina at the next one over is talking while hitting. I take a few steps into the room listening as Tris hits the punching bag with determination, each time I hear a thud I know that she's hit the target exactly where she intended.

It's weird seeing Tris in a sports bra and leggings while Christina is in full workout clothes. When I finally reach them I hear Christina talking about a date she went on recently, and while I know that Tris doesn't particularly care she's listening for the sake of her friend.

"Sorry to interrupt," I say shoving my hands into my pockets and smile at how awkward Christina still is in my presence. "But could I steal Tris?"

She pulls on a t-shirt and we walk out of the training room, even though she's sweaty and panting I wrap my arm around her shoulders and lead her towards the Pire. "What's up?" She finally asks wiping her forehead on the sleeve of her baggy shirt.

"I just wanted to remind you that we still haven't been out on a date yet and I wanted to give you enough time to get showered and ready." With a quick kiss she runs off towards her apartment. "I'll pick you up at six." I call down the hallway watching her smile and disappear behind the door.

I shower quickly and clean my piercings before throwing on my dark pants with a long sleeve black shirt, and my worn leather jacket. At ten til six I wander down the hallway towards Tris' apartment and knock on the door. When she opens it my jaw drops. She's dressed in a black dress that has sleeves down to her elbows and black flats, her hair is in a half French braid with the rest pulled into a tight not at the base of her neck, and the make-up is stunning making the blue in her eyes more brilliant than before.

"Hey." She whispers throwing her bracelets onto one wrist and closing the door behind her.

"You look amazing." I say kissing her gently.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

I hate her hand and lead her to outside where we jump on the train. I don't tell her where we're going and she doesn't ask even though I know that she's curious, so when we stand on the train looking out at the city lights I feel her fidgeting in my arms.

After a while I nudge her lightly and she follows me when I jump and when I lead her through the streets. "So, I figured it would be nice to spend some time in the park and look at the sunset."

Her cheeks flush and her eyes find her shoes. She's not accustomed to the world of dating and even though we've kissed actually going on a date is different. The quiet is nice as we stroll hand in hand through Millennium Park and finally find a bench facing the sunset to cuddle up on.

When the sun starts to set she leans her body into mine and we watch together.

"Tell me something that I don't already know about you." She whispers to me.

I have to think for a bit before I finally come up with something. "My parents died when I was really young, it's been me and my sister for the past five years It was hard having to grow up more than I should have at thirteen and take care of my sister at the same time but the faction helped a lot." The friends my parents had made sure that we were well fed, had clean clothes, and stayed healthy. We were checked in on every day and we always knew that if we needed to get away or needed help there would be someone there.

"What happened when you left?" Her voice is soft like she's trying not to disturb the memory.

"My sister is only a year younger than me, so I talked it over with her to make sure she would be okay if I left. We had gotten to the point in our lives that we were independent and didn't need help so she was fine with it, when I saw her on visiting day it was like she wanted to take all that back and tell me not to go."

Sighing I pulled Tris even closer and let the smell of her hair waft up to my nostrils calming me. "Marie has learned more than ever to take care of herself and I taught her a few moves to fight if she never needs it which I hope she won't but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Wow." I can tell she's sad but won't show it. "I'm so sorry about your parents, how did they die?"

"They were hit by a car that slipped on ice. From what I was told they died on impact and didn't feel any pain." She doesn't say anything and doesn't need to, I miss my parents but I can't bring them back. In a way it's nice to know that she understands.

The sun hung low in the sky throwing oranges and pinks in every direction, the buildings started to darken, and the temperature dropped enough to make Tris start to shiver. "We should get back." I say pulling her up with me. "I have a dinner to cook you."

Earlier in the day I had gotten a few things from the Dauntless chefs and put everything in my apartment so I could make her dinner and we could be alone on the rest of our date. When we got back to Dauntless there were a few confused stares at how dressed up she was and I noticed a few other guys staring shamelessly.

I know that Tris isn't _mine_ and that we haven't made whatever it is that we're doing official, but everyone has seen us together and I know better than anyone that Dauntless is not known for their tight lips. Every time I see another guy stare I feel protective and want to push her to my apartment just so they stop, but I keep myself from doing that and instead lace her fingers with mine and stare ahead.

There's something about Tris Prior that draws attention, it's not her striking beauty because even though she's beautiful to me she's not the prettiest girl in the faction, it's not her hair or piercings because there are others that look even crazier, and it's not her bulging muscles. It's her confidence and attitude. When she walks into a room she demands all eyes on her without saying a word, and I love it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Four**

When I realized that Tris and I were never going to happen I was upset, I lashed out and became angry but when everything happened I realized that maybe she and I were not meant to be together in that way. We had been through so much as far as helping her out during initiation, helping her hide being divergent, showing her my feat landscape, and just talking her through things.

As ridiculous as it seems, being one of her best friends is better than nothing and being a leader with her is even better because unlike Eric I know how she thinks and how she will act. The first few times I saw them together making big does eyes at each other I felt sick, I wanted to turn and run the other way just so that I didn't have to watch it. The more that I thought about it though the more I figured that they actually worked well as a couple, both of them might be aggressive at times but while Eric is feared Tris is loved and together they balance each other out.

I can see in the Pit when they walk together that no one really understands what to do when Eric smiles or laughs happily, and during leadership meetings when I know that a year ago Eric would have told the person that they need to figure out whatever problem they had on their own or give a harsh punishment Tris is lenient making Eric softer.

It's sickening.

But it's amazing seeing in the couple months that they have been in each other's lives how much each has changed.

One night though, I get out of bed and go to the training room hoping to let off some steam but when I get there Eric is already hitting one of the punching bags on the far end of the wall.

"Can't sleep?" I ask walking over and leaning up against the wall.

He is covered in sweat and his brown hair is slicked back out of his face with it, the tank top he wears is black but I can tell it's also soaking wet. "Got a lot on my mind."

"What's up?"

When Eric turns to me and looks more confused than I've ever seen him I understand, he and I have only become civil within the last few months and have never asked each other about our feelings. "You really want to know?" I nod and he stops hitting the punching bag. "You might think that only Stiff's are prudish, all the other factions are so open with their affections but I haven't exactly had that opportunity."

If he's saying what I think he's saying, maybe we're not so different after all. "So you're a virgin?"

"Yes." His eyes are cold as he answers. "But, I know that eventually I'll want to have sex and I also know that I don't want to pressure her into anything."

Eric goes back to punching but I keep quiet for a little bit. "The thing is, Abnegation are taught that affection is a private thing not something that should be avoided. Already, since she chose Dauntless, you can see that she's realized that it's okay to be affectionate. She hugs people, holds hands, and kisses you; a lot I may add." He smiled but doesn't look at me. "She's a strong person and knows her own boundaries, if you do something and she doesn't like it you'll know. But don't be afraid to take the next step with her as long as you're both comfortable with it."

"Good advice." He pants and wipes the sweat from his forehead. "Thanks." Without another word from either of us Eric leaves and I start working out my own frustrations.

Being a leader is different than just being a member, but while Eric and Tris had their own Dauntless traits shown I only had a tattoo that creeps up on my neck. I've always kept my hair at the same length and since I was made a leader I've let it grow a bit so now it's shaggy and hangs past my ears, I'm not willing to do anything else just yet.

Tris has a few tattoos at this point and even got her ears pierced, she looks like she belongs in the leadership position and has started acting like it too. Everyone within the faction respects her and treats her as such and while I was respected before because of how many fears I have and how well I did training the initiates it's a different kind of respect.

Maybe I'm still getting used to someone who I trained being better than me or maybe I'm bitter that she chose to be with Eric. But either way, I'm happy with the outcome and proud of how far Tris has come.

**A/N: Sorry this is such a short chapter, he's not really a main POV character in this story but I thought it would be nice to get some of his thoughts out there.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Eric**

I had tried so hard to keep myself separated from the members of Dauntless so that when the time came for Jeanine to use me I wouldn't feel terrible putting them under a sim. So now when I sit with Tris at meals or in the Pit hanging out and her group of friends surrounds us I feel a little uncomfortable but know that they feel the same about me being there.

Uriah and Zeke I had been around for a couple of years and had gotten used to from afar, now that they were up close I could tell that they were pretty much the same person and while they were funny sometimes they were a bit too much. Christina being a former Candor was very open and didn't have a filter, she was one of the first to really warm up to me which meant that her boyfriend Will also tried to see past what I had done. What was weirder though was that I had started to get used to everyone around all the time and I could feel myself growing to like them more and more.

But when Four ran into my office one day I knew that was all going to end.

"I need you to hear me out before you say anything." I nod and watch as he sits in the chair across the desk and breaths in and out a few times. "The factionless aren't scattered like we originally thought, they are united and get more information on us than we could have ever known."

"Ok, what's the point? Why are you all upset about this?"

Four shook his head. "The factionless hear things, people don't think about what they're saying in front of them because they assume that the information isn't going anywhere. Well, now they're going to rise up."

Normally I would take news like this with a grain of salt but after the Erudite tried to take out Abnegation nothing can be ruled out. "Rise up against what?"

"The factions. They want everyone to be factionless and think that it will help the city, that but getting rid of the faction system everyone will be happier and more productive." Stopping for a breath I see his adams apple bob as he swallows. "They have weapons, and they have a leader."

I don't know how to react to the news so we stare at each other for a minute before I can think of something to say. "Can they get into the camera feeds? Can they see what's going on?"

"No, they just use what they hear on the streets."

"Alright, how soon do you think we could get a leadership meeting and how quietly can we do it?"

Four seems to understand what I'm trying to say and relaxes a bit. "We'll have to speak to each faction leader, I think the best place to do it would be Amity."

"It's far enough away that the factionless won't be able to listen in but we have to figure out a way to get everyone out there without raising suspicion." My hair is getting longer and as I run my hand through it I realize it needs cut. The sides have started to grow out more than they should and it's starting to look ridiculous. Maybe I'll get that done while we try to figure out how to make this work.

"What about if we go at night? It would be easy for us since Dauntless guard the fence anyway, but the other leaders could wear black and pretend to be with us and we all go out together. It's not the best plan but it keeps the factionless from recognizing everyone."

_This is why he's a leader._ I think suppressing a smile. "Not a bad idea, now we only need to get to each of them and let them know what's going on, not to mention make sure it's alright Johanna if we meet at their headquarters." We both stand knowing that we have to find Tris. "Why don't you go to Amity since your dad is friends with Joanna, Tris could go to Candor, and I'll go to Abnegation."

"You don't have to go to Abnegation, I'll do it."

I shake my head. "Not a chance, I know how you feel about your dad so don't pretend. Right now what we need is for the leaders to understand what's going on without getting family matters mixed in with everything, you go to Amity and I'll go to Abnegation."

"Eric, seriously, you don't know what he's like."

"I've been in more meetings with Marcus Eaton than I can count, I don't like him but you hate him and I'm not going to protect his pride." Not giving him a chance to try and talk me out of it I open the door to the training room and spot Tris with Christina and Uriah. "Sorry guys we need to borrow Tris."

I see Christina huff and pout, it's true that since becoming a leader they haven't gotten much time together but some things are more important. "What's up?" We must look worried because she gets an anxious look on her face.

Four leaves for Amity and I fill Tris in on what's going on, "So basically when he gets back and says Amity agrees we need to go get the other leaders and get them out there so we can figure out what to do."

"This is insane." She says leaning her back against the wall. "I worked with the factionless growing up, I went into their part of the city at least once a week. How did they keep us thinking that they were scattered?"

Having only just heard about it half an hour before I have no answers for her so instead we go to my apartment and hang out, we're in the middle of talking when someone starts pounding on the door.

"Amity is in, let's go." Four says not giving us a chance to ask how it went. "I'll meet you at the fence, I have the door code."

Jumping on the train the three of us stay quiet knowing that there's almost no chance that we can get the leaders to all agree on anything in one night. Erudite is still rebuilding although under close watch and haven't elected a new leader yet, not that we would want their help anyway. I plant a kiss on Tris' lips before she jumps and runs towards Candor headquarters her ponytail swinging in her wake.

"Just tell her already." Four's arms are crossed and he's smiling like he knows something I don't.

"Tell her what?"

"How you feel about her."

Tris and I have gone on one date, but we've spent a lot of time together and I know that I definitely care for her but there's no way I love her just yet. "Maybe after all this is over."

We nod to each other before I hop off the train and run to the Abnegation sector, Four told me which house I needed to find and when I knock I feel worry growing in the pit of my stomach.

"What are you doing here Eric?"

Marcus was never one for idle conversation and had never greeted me in a way that could be considered polite, but I let it go. "Emergency leadership meeting at Amity."

His eyes narrow at me, "What's this about?"

"I can't tell you here Marcus, but I need you to put on any black clothing that you may have." The leaders all have an emergency outfit for each faction in case of something like this, something that we decided after Erudite tried to take over.

When he's done changing he follows me to the train platform and we get on as it slows almost to a stop, I don't want to give him the satisfaction of telling him what is going on and instead keep stoic silence smiling as I see Tris waiting with Jack Kang at the next platform.

"Eric, she won't tell me anything." He says as he climbs into the car. "What's going on?"

"You'll both find out soon enough." The urge to reach out and hold Tris is strong but I have to resist because right now we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, or dating, or whatever it is we're doing and we have to act like leaders.

"If you don't tell us what this is all about I'm not going with you." Marcus finally says his fists clenched at his sides, I can see why Four might be scared of him and in a way I am too but I'm also stronger than he is.

Sidestepping the open door I motion towards him. "Then leave." Any Dauntless would take it as a challenge and find a good spot to leap from the speeding train but Marcus has only been on the train a few times from what I've heard so he takes a small step back and falls silent.

Next to me, Tris is biting her lip as she won't laugh out loud but I can tell that she wants to and she might when we tell Four about this later. Jack Kang stands a few feet away staring at his shoes and looks terrified when we announce that we'll have to get off soon.

The train slows down and the four of us jump off and run towards the fence where Four is already waiting. Typing in the code the door unlocks and we pass through, there is a truck idling nearby and it's lights flash.

"Thanks for the ride." Four says as he climbs into the cab, the rest of us get situated in the back and I make sure that Tris is comfortable draping my arm across the area of the truck behind her head, this isn't something that looks suspicious to the others don't even glance when I move.

When we get to Amity, Johanna welcomes us and leads the group into the dining area. "We're all here now, why don't we start with why we're here to begin with." She has always been very calm even going as far as to talk Marcus down during his intense speeches during meetings and for that I'm grateful because we don't need anyone throwing a fit.

"The factionless are planning an uprising." Four starts, Tris and I decided that since he's the one who knows what's going on her would speak for Dauntless. "There are more of them than we know and they're united under a leader who has instilled into them that they faction system needs to be overthrown. They have weapons, they know how to fight, and they know more than we thought."

Jack Kang leans forward. "What do you mean they know more?"

"When you're talking to someone and pass a group of factionless, do you stop to think about what they're going to do with what they hear? Do you think that they're going to remember what you said and what it means because after all they're factionless so what can they do with the information anyway?" The others stare and realization starts to set in. "They have been acting helpless for so long and use the fact that everyone simply disregards their presence that it's an advantage for them now."

"So why are they going to rebel? Is it something that they have planned out or are they just going to attack without thinking?"

"Where did they get the weapons from?"

"How many are there?"

The questions come at him rapid fire and eventually I have to stop them before Four lashes out. "I think what we need to start with is do you know who they report to?"

He meets me eyes before turning towards Marcus. "Evelyn Eaton."

No one speaks. More than ten years ago everyone was told that Marcus Eaton's wife died in childbirth in the middle of the night. I see Tris' shocked expression and wonder why Four would even say something like that.

"But, there was a funeral and everything. I was there." She finally says looking between the Eatons hoping for answers.

"She's not dead, she left Abnegation and decided to become factionless and to protect his pride Marcus made up the dying story. His cheeks flush with embarrassment and suddenly it feels too tense to be sitting here with them. "Evelyn decided that the factions were suffocating and has been talking to the factionless about it for years, they've had a network set up for some time and now that Erudite is practically already dismembered they want to take the opportunity and attack."

"So the leaders are the first targets I would assume?" Jack looks terrified as he asks the question and pales a bit more when Four nods.

"What do we do?"

There are a few suggestions thrown around, Marcus wants to kill Evelyn right away saying that if you strike at the heart everything else will fail.

"I thought Abnegation were friends to the factionless." I stare hard at Marcus waiting for a response.

"Just because my faction protects them doesn't mean we are _friends._" The last word is spit from his mouth like poison. "If this is going to be a problem I want it taken care of right away."

"And what makes you think they won't just find someone else to rally under?" His eyes land on Tris as she speaks and suddenly I feel protective.

"What is it with you Dauntless electing children for leaders?" Marcus looks furious that we're even talking about this and scoffs when our bodies all tense.

Johanna places her hands palm down on the table. "Marcus, they were elected for a reason."

"I'm sure there had to have been someone else with more experience that could have taken a spot."

"You know full well that I was a leader when I was seventeen, I sat in on the meetings and I voted and did everything else the other four leaders did. So why is it so difficult for you to take this seriously now?" I've always wanted to hit Marcus, but now I know that I'm not the only one.

"I think what Marcus is saying is that it's difficult to take what you're all saying seriously because none of you has the experience in running a faction that we have." Being Candor Jack can't lie and while he looks upset at the fact it doesn't make it any less true.

But Marcus looks smug that there's one more person on his side and I want to scream.

"And how do you want us to get the experience if not to be elected into leadership positions and learn?" When Tris and I talked about her being divergent she told me that she tested for three factions, and right now her Erudite was showing. "If you want us to be good leaders and help the city then we need to find a way to do that and if you're not going to help us, or take us seriously then we're only being set up for failure and ridicule from you."

Tension is rising at the table and even though her voice is calm and even I can tell that Tris is starting to get angry but it's difficult not to smile at someone who is only sixteen talk down to someone in their forties.

"She's right," Johanna adds. "We're all leaders and right now we're equals. Age has nothing to do with being in a leadership position and I believe that they all have good heads on their shoulders, so why don't we get back to the issue at hand?"

In that moment I realize that without each faction, truly we wouldn't be able to function and would be reduced to bickering the entire time. Johanna has always been the one to calm everyone and keep the meetings on track.

It's dark before we come up with a solution and leave Amity headquarters and even though we're weary Four, Tris, and I chase the train and jump into a car heading back to our own home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Tris**

It's nice to know that even though I can take care of myself there are others to help me when I need it. All of the other leadership meetings had been boring but with a real problem forming in the city there was no time to be prideful.

We all need to work together and make sure that the Erudite aren't drafted into factionless ranks. More Dauntless guards and set up at the old headquarters and when a new leader is elected a week after our secret meeting Jack Kang volunteers to use truth serum on him to find out if he's going to try and hunt divergents like Jeanine.

After he is elected and moves into his new office we all make a trip to meet him. He is late twenties, brown hair so dark it's almost black, and green eyes which he doesn't hide behind the normal Erudite vanity glasses.

"It's nice to meet you all." He says welcoming us into his office. The boys and I are here first wanting to make sure that he gets a good impression for himself before Marcus can taint it. "Can I ask why Dauntless has so many leaders when the other factions only have one?"

"Dauntless are known to be a bit reckless at times," Eric answers his voice deep and even. "We have so many leaders so that if something were to happen we can discuss what course of actions are available to us and vote amongst ourselves for a verdict, that's also why we always have an odd number."

"And…and why are you all so young?" Brad isn't much older than us in terms of age and has less experience than we do as a leader so when we all chuckle it's interesting to see his reaction.

"Dauntless aren't known to live very long." Four answers quietly and we sit on the couch against the wall.

Brad's eyes widen when he realizes that when Dauntless are seen around the city there aren't many if any older people with the group, when you can't jump on or off a moving train or onto a rooftop you can't leave headquarters. And really what fun is that?

It's only a few more moments before the others arrive and take the seats that had been brought in for them. I'm perched on the arm of the couch letting Eric and Four have space for their biceps and to spread out more for a menacing and bored look that we have perfected as a team.

While the others are filling Brad in on the factionless problem I twist my fingers together trying to feign boredom but really I'm more anxious to hear what he thinks of everything.

"I suppose saying that something like this is impossible won't go over well." He finally says. "Before I would say you're al crazy but after everything that's happened it can't be ruled out."

Beside me Eric give a quiet laugh that only Four and I hear, Dauntless had been involved in shady activity before all of this.

"The question now Brad, is whether you are with us in the plan we have." Johanna smiles broadly welcoming his opinions.

Each of us is now leaning forward whether we know it or not, the three of us no longer looked like we're about to fall asleep, and Brad looks nervous. "I can say for certain that Erudite will not ally with the factionless in this. I won't hide from you that Evelyn Johnson has already sent messages asking for a meeting, but after hearing what they want to do I am hesitant to even respond."

"You said Evelyn Johnson."

Brad meets Four's eyes and nods, he doesn't know the connection between the two. "That's how she introduced herself in the note."

"She's distancing herself from you." Marcus laughs to Four his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Not me. You."

I see Johanna lean over to Brad and whisper in his ear followed by him staring between the two men realizing who they are.

"Anyway," Eric stretches his neck and it cracks in a few places. "What do we do now?"

"Well first we have to tell our factions not to speak about anything important or private out in the open where it could be over heard. The factionless have always been overlooked because we teach that they're dangerous so it might be difficult to explain that they are also intelligent." Candor's headquarters is the closest to the largest factionless safe house. "Four, how did you come by all this information again?"

"Evelyn left me a note and asked to meet, she didn't tell me it was her so when I got to the meeting place I was a little more than shocked. She wanted me on her side and told me about everything she was planning, showed me a map of all the safe houses, told me about the information network, and said that out of all of the factions she would want Erudite because of their technology. After Jeanine Erudite was vulnerable and I knew that she was planning on doing something soon." Having seen him speak both candidly and openly I know that he's telling the entire truth, not that there's anything hide now.

Johanna's hands are clasped in her lap and her voice is soft when she speaks. "Does she know that you've told us this?" For being the elected voice of the most peaceful faction she has a mind for strategy.

"No, I told her I would need some time to think it over. That's why we took every precaution when I told you." Tugging at the hair on the back of his neck he sighs. "Should I continue letting her think that I'm interested in doing this?"

Eric and I sneak a look at each other, would it really be the best idea to send one of our leaders into factionless territory alone? "Is that safe?" I ask. "What if they already know that you told us and they're going to hold you hostage or something?"

"You really think you guys can't get me out of there?"

I know he's not just talking about me and Eric, but the rest of our friends as well. No one in Dauntless would let one of their leaders be taken hostage. Out loud though he makes it seem like he's only talking about the two of us.

"I think he has to take this risk if we're going to figure everything out." Sighing as he says it Eric runs a hand over his hair as if he doesn't agree with it but knows that it might be the only option. "Four knows how to take care of himself. We just need to figure out a way to keep the other leaders informed while everything is going on."

"Not a good idea to meet as often, good idea." We all agree except for Marcus.

His face turns pink and we watch as he fumes silently for a minute. "We are leaders in this city. We should not be afraid to meet together."

"But we should be afraid of Evelyn catching on and striking before we're ready." Father and son stare at each other for a long while trying to maintain dominance.

"Amity will maintain itself as a safe house for the other factions if they need it." Everyone seems to realize then that this situation might get messier than we thought. "If you need to safely get to our headquarters, find any Amity in the city and tell them that you need a loaf of bread, they will know what that means and will act accordingly."

When we get ready to leave the boys are still sitting on the couch talking to each other not noticing that Brad is standing beside me.

"So what did you do to get elected as a leader?" His green eyes search mine looking for something that tells him what I've done.

"I helped stop the attack on Abnegation, the three of us worked together and when we told our faction they elected us." He almost looks impressed as he straightens his jacket. "What about you?"

"Oh, I had some amazing research on a serum for memory retention. Imagine being injected with a serum and being able to keep all the information you would need for your research without forgetting any of it before the end of the day! You would be able to spend a maximum amount of time actually doing the research and only have to write down the parameters and data after the fact." He looks so excited that I can't tell him how uninterested I am in it.

Eric's hand appears on my shoulder and I realize the boys are standing. "We should head back." When we get to the lobby of the building I see Eric's head turn and meet a woman's eyes before nodding and continuing out of the building.

"I have something I need to do, meet you guys back at headquarters." Four says running off to meet with his mother while the two of us take our time getting to the train platform.

When we get back Eric says he needs to get a haircut and I go off to see Tori.

"Hey," She says when I walk in. "How's the new ink?"

"Awesome, it healed really well." Lifting my shirt to show her the smooth skin of my side she looked proud of her work. "I know that there's a place you can get your hair cut here but I was wondering if you would do it for me. I trust you more."

There's no one in the tattoo place so she takes me through the back to her apartment and pulls out a pair of scissors, sitting in the kitchen she starts to snip away at the hair letting long lock fall to the floor. When she's done I feel her ruffle her fingers through the short hair that's left and go to wash her hands.

"There's a mirror in the bathroom." She says sweeping the floor. When I look the hair is short enough to stick up in places but still long enough to hold on to, it looks different and shows off my earrings and tattoos more.

"Thank you so much!" I say hugging her before we leave her apartment back into the Pit.

It's not long before Christina sees me and screams as she runs over. "What did you do!"

"Don't you like it?" During our first week here Christina wanted me to do something to show that I was Dauntless and had left my old faction behind, she suggested changing my hair but I was adamant that I would not cut it.

"I love it!" She yells tugging at it to try and change how it stood up.

Eric comes over a little bit later with his hair back to the way it was when we met. He wasn't expecting me to do anything with my hair because he just stares at it and watches Christina play with it for a minute before speaking. "I like it."

Somehow I know that he's not only saying that it looks good, but that he thinks it was a good idea to cut it in case there is a fight, it'll be one less thing someone can use to hurt me. I'm starting to think like a soldier.

"What made you cut it?" Shauna made her way over and was touching my head just like Christina. "It's only going to get colder."

"Abnegation girls have to keep long hair, decided it was time to break out of that." They seem to buy it and while it wasn't a lie I didn't want them to know the truth. "Why does Four look like he's about to fall over?"

Running over to us Four looks between me and Eric and places his hands on his knees trying to breathe. "It's happening." Is all he's able to say and Eric stands on the highest place he can.

"Listen up everybody!" All eyes are on him while I try to keep Four from falling over. "Dauntless has been tasked with protecting this city for the past hundred years, now it's time to protect each other. The factionless are rebelling and we need anyone who can fight to be with us."

Some of the people who were Dauntless long before I chose to become one start to stomp their feet and eventually the entire Pit joins in. The noise is so loud that others are arriving from different parts of headquarters just to see what's going on.

"You all deserve to know why the factionless are doing this," He continues when the stomping stops. "They are unified and believe that the faction system should be completely eradicated, that everyone should live a life without factions. Know that we cannot stop you from leaving us, but the factionless are going to do whatever it takes to change our city and we are going to try and stop it without starting a war."

More cheers and stomping, when Four stands next to Eric his voice echoes throughout the room. "We aren't going to be killing anyone today, all of the guns are fitted with rubber bullets to incapacitate only. Dauntless are sworn to protect this city and its people let's keep it that way!"

Finally I stand in between them and look out at the room. "If anyone doesn't want to fight or doesn't feel safe here at Dauntless, Amity has agreed to be a safe haven. If you want to stay there leave now, find someone from Amity and ask them for a loaf of bread and they will take you."

"Get outfitted in the training room, grab a vest, a gun, and extra clips. Meet on the roof in fifteen minutes."

Christina's hand is clamped around mine while she listens to Four and Eric give directions and before she sprints off to the training room with everyone else she wraps her arms around me. "Be careful." She whispers in my ear.

"You too." I say watching her leave with Will and Shauna.

**A/N: I'm using the movie as a reference for how everyone looks…sorry lol**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Eric**

"What happened that they decided to attack now?" Tris is tightening the laces on her boots as she asks.

"When I got there everything was fine, I was talking with Evelyn and then suddenly someone ran in whispered something to her and she started yelling all these commands. Everyone started picking up guns and getting ready. So I snuck out and ran back here."

We're the last ones in the training room and there are only a few guns left, grabbing one each we put protective vests on and head out to the roof. "Where are the centering the attack?" I ask.

"Erudite." The train is coming and it slows down for us, almost everyone from Dauntless is on the roof. "I'm going up to the front, I can try to signal the others with the whistle."

He runs off through the crowd leaving me and Tris, I pull her into a tight hug not caring who else sees. "Be careful okay?" I know that there's a chance she'll run off and do something reckless on her own but I have to hope that she won't be stupid. I feel her nod and pull apart so I can kiss her hard on the mouth.

When we break apart everyone is filing into the cars and we join them not talking until it starts moving again. Others are chatting aimlessly trying to keep their minds off of what's happening but there's tension in the air and it doesn't last for long.

The train whistle sounds when we pass a headquarters but I can already see groups of factionless camped out and know that they're going to be attacking everywhere at once.

Finally, when we get to Erudite I see a crowd of people wearing all different colors surrounding the building. Turning to the rest of the train I see everyone's scared faces. "We need a group to go to Candor, another to Abnegation, and a small group of maybe three or four to head out to Amity, the rest of you will stay here."

Tris and I choose who is going where and the rest of them start getting off the train. "I want you to get inside Erudite and find Brad make sure that everyone inside is safe."

"What about you? What if something happens?" Her eyes finds mine and I see fear and anger but we don't have time to address them.

"I'm going with Four to try and stop this." We kiss again and before she can pull away I press our foreheads together. "Tris, remember that I care for you more than you can imagine."

I watch her hop off the train and make her way to the front door of Erudite where a Dauntless guard lets her in and immediately locks the door again. The factionless watch as the rest of us get off the train with their guns loaded but pointing towards the ground and near the front of the building a woman that I normally wouldn't recognize but when I see her I know she's Evelyn.

"Tobias," She coos when the three of us walk up to her. "We could have done this together. You know better than I do how to faction system doesn't work."

"It's worked for a hundred years without any problems until now." He responds and his mother just smiles sadly.

"Tobias this is nonsense. The factions have to be taken down, if not the city will fall."

But he shakes his head back and forth. "The only way it will fall is if you do this, why would you even think that this would make sense? That it would fix anything?"

"I have lived factionless for the last decade, I know what they are capable of more than any of you." The point she's trying to make still hasn't actually been made, but I know it's coming. "Cast out from initiations because they can't make it, thrown out of factions for different things, or leaving simply because they just can't be held down to one type of life anymore."

Divergents. The majority of divergents are factionless.

"Or, faking their deaths and leaving their son for years because they're selfish." Evelyn looks hurt but no one steps up to help her. "The factions kept me alive. The factions helped me figure out who I am and helped me get stronger. I have grown into a man and have been elected leader. How could I have done that without a faction?" Those that can hear the conversation start to look confused. "I think that you're doing this to try and take all the power away from Marcus."

Suddenly she looks outraged, the factionless surrounding her try not to react but it's difficult when she's not answering.

"You want to take away his leadership position and make him just another normal person so he doesn't have an excuse for what he does and can't feel important anymore. Trust me, out of everyone here I know exactly how you feel and I don't blame you, but this isn't the way to do it." Evelyn's face is red but whether it's from embarrassment or anger I don't know. Erudite are staring out of the windows down to the group and I try to find Tris but can't.

"I want nothing more than for Marcus to atone for what he's done, but I'm trying to get rid of all of the factions not just Abnegation. You would lose your leadership position as well."

Maybe that could have been the nail in the coffin and we would be finished but Four just laughs. No one knows how to react to his outburst including me so I just continue to watch Evelyn. "You have brainwashed these people into believing that this city doesn't need factions, but what would happen without them? Would we have a faction to protect everyone? Would we have a faction to farm and grow all the food we need? What about having a faction where medicines and serums to help heal are created? Or even judges for when someone breaks the law? The factions are here for a reason and they have worked for a century. There is no reason to get rid of them now. The city would crumble."

I see some of the factionless start to stir and I know the Four is getting to them. If their leaders own son can't believe in what she's doing why should they? "How do you know it wouldn't work?"

"Everyone would just go right back to how they were before! Habits are hard to break and even if we said to the city 'go ahead and start over there are no more factions just do what you want' the Candors would still find a way to be together, the Erudite would still try to do their research, Dauntless would still train and fight, Abnegation would still reject vanity and selfishness, and Amity would still farm and sign and play instruments."

I smile knowing that he has her because her face shows that she doesn't even believe that it would work. Sweeping my eyes across the crowd I look into the Erudite lobby and see the rest of the leaders all standing there. Tris is up front watching with an intensity I've never seen before, the others are confused but Marcus looks like he's trying not to explode.

"While the rest of the leaders are here why don't we have a little meeting inside?" I say it as softly as I can to Four and we lead Evelyn inside.

When we get to the group I see Tris turn to Marcus and hiss at him, "_That_ is why he's a leader."

Up in Brad's office all of the weapons have been set aside and the seven of us are talking civilly although we have to take turns for fear of a fight breaking out. But, I notice that when it's all over Evelyn is more placid that before. Her eyes flit from face to face and she keeps tapping her foot.

She has something planned.

We all walk down to the lobby together and watch and Evelyn exits assuming that she tells the factionless what we've decided to do, instead I see her stop and talk to someone before walking through the crowd and watch as they open fire on the building.

"Elevators!" I yell pushing Tris in front of me to protect her from the bullets. After the glass shatters the shooting stops and the factionless turn and run, the Dauntless that were with us or already at Erudite continue firing trying to get as many as possible to drop so we can get them locked up and when they're done there are more than fifty factionless lying on the ground groaning.

Four and I tell the other leaders to get up to Brad's office and lock the door while we get the people into cells, Tris doesn't argue about going this time because she knows that if something happens she is the only one with a gun.

"That didn't go well." Four mumbles as we each grab a stretcher type thing and start sending people upstairs. "I really thought she would listen."

"Can't blame yourself for that though. Maybe she's just as crazy as your dad." He laughs but I can tell he doesn't believe it. "Someone needs to collect all these weapons, put them all in an empty room that locks." I tell Christina knowing I can trust her and she grabs will and Uriah to help.

I see the others from my initiation class and from Tris' helping clean up, guns strapped to their backs and sweat starting to bead on their foreheads from lugging injured bodies around.

"She needs to be locked up." He finally says after an hour. "If we can get her in a cell there's a chance that this whole thing will end, she's the reason it started and they all listen to her but they don't really have any thoughts of their own to rebel."

"Let's finish this and then we can talk about it with the others."

After a couple of hours all of the factionless that were injured have been taken upstairs and are being held, their weapons all gathered and locked in a room, and the Dauntless all worn out.

Everyone starts heading for the train knowing that there's nothing left to do but we go to Brad's office and see that everyone is starting to fall asleep.

"Oh my god," Tris yells when we walk in. "Eric you're bleeding!"

I feel a throb in my arm but there's no pain, I assumed it was from so much exertion but when I look I'm bleeding heavily into my shirt. "Looks like it's just a graze." Johanna walks over and looks at it quickly before confirming the damage is superficial and that it should be bandaged up.

After a minute an Erudite girl walks in with a small white case and hands it to Johanna who asks that I cut away my shirt sleeve so she can fix me up. Tris hasn't left my side and no one has said anything but right then I wouldn't even care if they did.

"What happened?" Brad coughs out finally. "Why did they attack?"

Four shrugs but his head is hung and his eyes are closed. He doesn't want to think about it just like he doesn't want to believe his mom could do something like that. "Telling her that she can't do something is probably what did it." He looks tired, like he hasn't slept in days. "She needs to be exiled."

"She needs to be completely taken out of the equation!" Marcus roars. "She was trying to have me killed!"

Suddenly I can't contain my anger anymore. "This isn't just about you Marcus, she was trying to kill all of us! Your goddamn _son_ included. So how about you stop being so self-obsessed for one fucking minute!"

Tris' hand is on my hard trying to calm me but the damage is done and I can see that she's angry as well. Her neck is flushed and I wonder what she's thinking about to make her gaze so hard on him. The others are quiet but there is a soft chuckle from Four next to me and I can't help but smile a bit as well.

"I understand that she shot at all of us, but who do you think she was truly aiming for?"

Finally Tris breaks. "Eric, obviously. He's the only one here who actually got shot!" Since the first leadership meeting Marcus has tried to ignore the fact that Tris is even there, now his eyes are trained on her only. "No wonder Jeanine tried to get the government away from you Marcus, you're the most selfish person here."

"I believe that right now we need to figure out a course of action to take against Evelyn, not attack each other." Jack's white shirt is ripped at the shoulder from when he ran across the lobby. "If she is still in charge of the factionless and is still telling them that the faction system is inherently bad than we need to work together and do something about it."

Of course we all realize that, but with the high tensions and my arm throbbing I can't actually concentrate. Instead I lace my fingers with Tris and lean back into the couch closing my eyes knowing that as far as the Dauntless vote goes the others will do what's right. I drift off after only a minute to the feeling of Tris' thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Tris**

It takes hours but the leaders have finally come up with a plan that might actually work as far as getting Evelyn back into Erudite headquarters and another plan to get her into a cell. When we leave Brad's office the only people awake are the Dauntless guards stationed here and the seven of us.

Eric slept through the entire meeting and it was difficult to wake him after the meeting was over but eventually his eyes opened. "What did I miss?"

"I'll fill you in when we get back." He stands and slings an arm across my shoulders. Marcus has already stalked out of the room but Johanna and Jack Kang are still talking with Brad.

"I have a truck here with me Jack, I can take you to the front doors of your headquarters if you want." He still doesn't look like he wants to venture out into the city unescorted. "Perhaps I can give our other esteemed leaders a ride as well if that would help you feel more comfortable."

With Eric's arm still bandaged and a streak of red appearing I don't want him to try and get on the train so I quickly agree for all of us. Grabbing our guns we leave the building, Four walks in front of the others looking each way every few seconds before getting to the truck and hopping in the back. Johanna and Jack climb in the cab and we join Four.

The truck is loud in the dead of night, I feel like it's going to just alert everyone to exactly where we are, but nothing happens when we get to Candor and Jack Kang runs inside telling the people at the desk to lock all the doors. And nothing happens on the way to Dauntless.

"Get back as fast as you can." Four says thanking Johanna for the ride.

The Pit is silent, something that I never thought I would witness. The shops are all closed up and the only lights around the large room is the blue lamps on the walls. Everyone must have come back and immediately gone to their apartments .

"I'm going to check out the control room and make sure everything is alright." We say good night as Four leaves and I steer Eric towards the infirmary.

"What are you doing?" He asks when I start rummaging through the drawers until I find more bandages and cut off the bloodied one around his bicep. "I'm fine Tris, really."

"You're bleeding, you were shot. I'm not going to let this get infected so just let me redress it and then we can go to bed." I don't give him a say in this and he knows it so silently I work on wrapping the gauze around his arm which only takes a few minutes. When I'm done my hand stays on his arm.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

I can feel my eyelids starting to droop and I know that I won't be awake for much longer. "Just so much has happened recently and I just want it to stop." Immediately his arms are circled around my small body. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

He doesn't say anything, just takes my hand and leads us to his apartment where he finds a clean shirt and pair of boxer shorts for me to sleep in before gently stripping off his bloodied shirt. The bed is comfortable and the blankets are soft as I curl up in them, but when Eric slips into bed and hesitantly wraps his arm around my middle and pulls me body flush against his I realize that this is the most comfortable I've ever been.

"Good night." He mumbled against my neck with a kiss.

"Night."

When we wake up the next morning the shirt has made its way up my torso showing a good amount of my stomach but I find that it doesn't bother me, just like the fact that Eric's warm fingers are following the trail of ivy up my side.

"Good morning, beautiful. You looked like you slept well." There's a smile on his face.

"It's too early to be so happy." Turning onto my other side my head snuggles in under his chin and I realize for the first time that he's not wearing a shirt. "How's your arm?"

One of his hands is on my back and his lips are against my forehead. "It hurts a little bit, but nothing I can't handle."

We stay that way for a while holding each other and both thinking that it could be the last time we're ever able to do so. If Evelyn keeps fighting there's a chance that one of us could get killed and as much as I don't want to think about it the bandage on Eric's arm is a constant reminder.

"Let's get up and go to breakfast." He finally says rolling out of bed, the sides of her head are cut short but the top of his head still has a good amount of hair that he styles and right now it's a mess. He runs a hand over it probably hoping I can't see but I do and realize that my hair probably doesn't look any better.

"I'm going to run to my apartment and get some clothes, I'll meet you here in a few minutes?" He agrees and I run out into the cold hallway in the clothes I borrowed from him. Everyone is either still asleep or at breakfast and I'm thrilled to not run into a single person.

I don't bother showering because I'm just going to the training room with Christina after breakfast anyway so I throw on the most comfortable pants and loose shirt that I can before lacing up my boots and taking a look in the mirror.

My hair is sticking up at odd angles but it seems to work, if I wanted to I'm sure I could slick it back but with the craziness of it all I think it makes me look like a real Dauntless. Taking a washcloth and wiping my face down I feel the dirt and sweat leave my skin, next I brush my teeth, and then finally pull on a jacket. Eric is waiting in the hallway for me and when we go to breakfast everyone is there but the room isn't as loud as it usually would be.

"Should we say something?" Four and Eric shrug as they eat, what is there to say? "I just don't want everyone to be freaking out."

Four just shrugged again. "Right now it just looks like everyone is trying to eat breakfast. Besides, Zeke is in the control room today so if something happens he'll tell us right away."

When we're done eating Christina and I leave for the training room and started stretching.

"So how are things with you and Eric?" She asks reaching for her toes. "You guys seem to be inseparable lately."

"It's kind of difficult to get time away from your boyfriend when you have to sit in on meetings with him, but we're alright." This morning when I woke up in his arms I was the happiest I had been since choosing Dauntless. When we start hitting the punching bags I can tell that Christina is holding something back, being in Candor for sixteen years back it difficult to lie. "What's wrong?"

She's been my best friend since we left our old factions and we tell each other everything. "Will wants me to move in with him."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, I want to live with him but I'm just afraid it's too soon." She leans against the punching bag and sighs. "What if something happens because we move in together and we realize that we don't want to be in a relationship in the first place?"

I can't help but chuckle. "You have a guy who loves you, who wants to live with you, and who wants to be with you. I don't think Will is the kind of guy who will change his mind just because you live together." But I can tell she doesn't believe me. "What if you spend a few nights at his place and give it a test run or something, let him know what you would be brining into the apartment if you lived with him."

"That's the best idea ever. Thanks Tris!" With a quick hug she runs out to find Will and I'm left alone to kick and punch.

A while later Four walks in and takes a seat on the floor next to me. "Why isn't Christine here?"

"She went to talk to Will. He asked her to move in."

"Well Eric wants to have a meeting with us in a few minutes, thought I'd come let you know."

I'm all sweaty but follow Four up to the tenth floor of the Pire and into Eric's office.

"We need to start talking about what we're going to do for training the next initiation class." He says when we sit down. "Last year obviously wasn't the best that we've ever had so let's try to get back to what this faction is originally about."

"So I got beaten up multiple times for nothing?" They chuckle. "Is there a way to minimalize the damage during fighting?"

"There are gloves and pads the initiates can wear to protect themselves."

Four leans back and crosses his legs. "What about getting rid of knife throwing?"

"To make room for what?"

We go back and forth trying to figure out the best way to run the next initiation and finally we come up with something. That night Eric and I spend time in his apartment again.

"So how do you like being a leader so far?"

Eric's fingertips are like feathers against my cheek. "It's interesting, wasn't expecting so much to do right at the beginning."

"I was wondering if we could talk?" I push our foreheads together and hum. "I really like you Tris, I want to be your boyfriend and even though it sounds really lame to say that I just wanted to let you know."

He's quiet but keeps stroking my cheek. "I want to be your girlfriend." I finally say. "But I don't want to go too fast."

His lips are on mine softly and I grip onto his shirt. "I don't want to go too fast either."

We stay together for a while before a knock at the door interrupts the nice moment and Eric jumps up to open it.

"Zeke just found me, groups of factionless are moving around the city armed. It looks like they're trying to cut off the train and block the exit to Amity." Four looks between us and in a single moment Eric and I pull on and lace our boots and grab the jackets that we threw on the chairs.

"Four, go to the control room and turn on the siren. We need everyone in the Pit right now." Without another word he runs off. "Tris, I need you to go and get all of the vests and guns ready." Before I have a chance to run off his hand is wrapped around my arm and Eric pulls me close to him. "Promise me you'll be safe."

I stand on my tip toes and kiss him soundly holding onto his hips for balance. "Only if you promise me the same thing."

With another chaste kiss we run off to where we need to be. I see Christina and Will on my way and grab them for help, the extra hands to help set up the equipment make it so that everything is ready when the Dauntless start streaming in. We grab our own equipment and run up to the roof waiting for the train so we can stop it completely.

When Eric and Four reach the roof I'm finally filled in on what's happening. "We split everyone into five groups, one for each faction. The smallest group will stay here and make sure no one takes over our home. The others are evenly divided to the other faction headquarters," Eric started pointing to each of us. "Four is going to Candor, You are going to Abnegation, and I am going to Erudite, I trusted Christina and Uriah to go to the fence to make sure Amity is taken care of."

We hop on the train and just like the last time everyone is trying to keep their minds off of what's happening by keeping conversation going with their neighbors. We get to the fence first and I grab my friends to hug them before they get off and run towards the small group of factionless already there. Eric gets off at Erudite next and he kisses me quickly and claps Four on the shoulder. When we get to Candor Four wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss on the head before jumping off and running off with his group.

Abnegation isn't one of the most frightening factions, they have no weapons and won't fight so my group isn't the strongest of the Dauntless but I know that they will do their job. "When we get there we need to get everyone to the largest building in the middle, it's large enough to hold everyone and there's only one door so it'll be safe." There are a few who don't know that I was born into Abnegation and look confused. "If anyone finds Marcus Eaton I need to speak to him right away. Remember that we're not out to kill anyone so disarm and incapacitate if you can, there are zip ties for their wrists."

The train stops and we file off, it doesn't look like there are any factionless in the area but I keep on high alert in case they're hiding out. There are people milling around outside the houses and start to panic when they see us working towards them.

"Everyone needs to get to the headquarters building, now!" I yell watching parents scoop up their children and run. The Dauntless that are with me spread out to cover the perimeter of the area and I find Marcus. "The factionless are moving, we need everyone to get to the headquarters building."

"I don't think you have the authority to tell the people in my faction what to do." He looks so smug as he says it.

"Then maybe you would prefer if I take my people and leave." I take a victory in watching the smile slide off his face. "We need everyone into headquarters so that they will be safe, we need you to help with that and it includes getting everyone inside and keeping them calm."

_Yeah, I think I'm doing well as a leader._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Eric**

Brad is waiting for me at Erudite, he looks terrified and keeps straightening his shirt.

"Seen any factionless?" I ask looking out the window of his office.

But he shakes his head and continues fidgeting. "My assistant said that he saw some earlier across the street but none since then."

The streets look empty but that doesn't mean that they are, if the factionless have been able to hide themselves for so long there's no reason to suspect that they'll stop now. "I told the Dauntless to stay mostly in the lobby but there are a few on each floor just in case." He nods. "Is there a safe area to take the rest of your faction?"

"There's a meeting room, it's the only room large enough for everyone."

"And is there a way to get everyone in there without causing panic?"

He walks to the door and calls for his assistant, a boy about my age with blonde hair and glasses I know are only for show. "This is Gregory," I nod a greeting. "If Eric asks for anything get it for him. But right now I need you to get everyone into the meeting room, tell them that we're having an emergency meeting but there is nothing to worry about."

The boy runs out and Brad continues to worry himself. "I know that the first major event when you become a leader is difficult to wrap your head around, but it's not normally like this." I'm speaking before I know what I'm doing and not normally being known for words of encouragement I not only shock Brad but also myself.

It's an hour before Gregory returns saying everyone is in the meeting room waiting for us. When we arrive everyone is confused by my presence and even more so by the fact that I have a gun slung over my shoulder. I scan the crowd for my sister but can't find her in the sea of faces.

"Good afternoon," Brad calls out and immediately everyone is quiet. "I would like to introduce one of the Dauntless leaders Eric who is here to help. As I'm sure you all know by now, the factionless are a threat to us and not in the way that we have thought so far." The mumbling starts then but once again doesn't take long to quiet. "Before we have told you all about how the factionless are hard to control, how they're dangerous because they can't be controlled and are a threat to the system because they don't fit into a faction or have left theirs. But now, they're rising up against us and want to get rid of the faction system entirely. Right now, Dauntless is aiding us in keeping everyone safe if there is a fight."

He motions for me to come forward. "Dauntless is tasked with protecting this city and its people, right now that is all that we are doing so please do not be alarmed. None of the Dauntless are going to hurt anyone here and if they do they will answer to me. I want you to know that even though we are armed, the bullets are rubber and will not kill. Please, for everyone's safety if you see any factionless around this building let someone know and they will take care of it."

"For now, we're asking that everyone stay here just in case. Hopefully it won't last too long before everyone can return to their normal day."

The room erupts in conversation and I see a head of brown hair running down towards the stage.

"Eric, oh I'm so happy to see you!" Marie wraps her arms around me and I hug her back tightly. "What's going on exactly?"

"Like we said before, factionless are trying to take down the system. They have real bullets and are a real threat." My sister and I haven't been able to talk in a long time, we were raised in Erudite and I notice that I've started talking more like a Dauntless than an Erudite. "There really isn't anything else that we know."

She looks older, her hair is cut to her shoulders and curled under while her blue dress is hangs loosely around her. "How are you?" she asks folding her arms across her chest. "You look…strong."

"I am." I forget how easy it is for my sister to make fun of me. "That's what happens when you work out most of the time trying to train initiates."

"And as a leader you seem even more resilient."

"I have two others helping me keep on track." I start to scratch my neck nervously. "Actually one of them is my girlfriend."

Marie's jaw drops a fraction but she looks happy. "You're dating another leader?" I nod. "What's she like?"

We find seats nearby and start talking quietly. "She's amazing. Intelligent enough to make everyone around her feel stupid, she was first in her initiation class, she's a fast learner in everything she tries, and she's so confident in what she does. After the attack on Abnegation she made sure to ask me if you were safe."

There's a sly smile creeping up her lips and I feel myself smiling as well. "She seems really nice Eric, and it seems like you really like her."

"I really do." Marie starts talking about her life in Erudite since I left, her research and keeping her head down so she's out of trouble.

There's a boy that she likes and that she's noticed looking at her and while I feel overprotective I know that I can't do anything because I'm in a different faction. Although, the fact that I'm a Dauntless leader is probably enough to scare him into treating her well.

"Eric," Gregory calls from the door and I squeeze my sisters hand before walking into the hall with him. "Word just came from Candor, there are factionless surrounding their headquarters."

"Chances are they're just trying to get us away from here so it'll be easier to attack. Four can handle this no problem." But I'm scared, he said that there are more factionless than we knew about.

I walk around the halls of the building looking into the rooms at all of the equipment and the boards that have all the data written on it. When I find a Dauntless guard I ask for a report and each tell me there's nothing out there but I'm not certain.

From the top floor I can see most of the city and am able to see a few of the streets leading over to Candor, but it doesn't look like anything is going on. I can't see Abnegation from here and find myself worried about Tris more than I should, there's a chance that the factionless didn't won't attack Abnegation again so soon which is why I sent Tris there but with everything going on there's no telling.

By the time I make my way back to the meeting room food is being brought in for dinner and the sun is setting in the distance. Brad joins me up front to eat.

"So if we're attacked again, what's the best thing for everyone to do?"

"Well, hopefully everyone is still in here safe from what could be going on. But if they're not the best thing to do would be to find the nearest lab that locks and keep hidden." The chicken is cold and I'm pulling it apart with my fingers, it seems weird to eat like this. "What we need everyone to do most of all is remain calm."

**Four**

The factionless stand outside the Candor headquarters with their guns hanging from their shoulders, but they're not moving.

"What do we do?" Jack says from his desk, his hands are folded ont op of the wood and I can tell he's trying not to freak out. "Are we supposed to sit here and wait for them to leave?"

"Yes, we're not trying to be the bad people here Jack. Remember?" He sighs and I lean against the window again looking out at the group. "Are there any weapons here that your faction could use?"

"Why would we need weapons?"

I want to tell him how stupid he's being, but I didn't test for Candor and I'm still a good liar. "We brought enough weapons for ourselves, if anyone in your faction needs to protect themselves and we're not around they're going to need weapons." Jack's eyes close. "And if you have any knives I'll take those too."

When we talked to the faction I forgot how annoying I found them, the questions and critizisms kept coming one after another but when I told them that Dauntless could leave and aid another faction if that's what they wanted suddenly the room quieted down.

"Obviously, we need your help." A young girl called out. "You're supposed to protect us, that's what your faction is all about!"

"Then why do I feel like everyone in this room would rather tell me what I'm doing incorrectly rather than ask how to help." I've never kept my disdain for Candor hidden which is something that they actually want in their members. "We're trying to do our best but if you need or want to offer any help please let me know."

They all form into groups and begin talking to each other, I notice that some look at me boldly and others try to look past their friends at me. I look out at the crowd and try not to let any emotions show on my face. I'm thankful that Eric sent Tris to Abnegation instead of me, she knows where everyone needs to go and won't give in to my father's intimidation. I'm much better suited here at Candor than I am there, Tris can do well at Abnegation, and Eric will do well at Erudite because he knows the headquarters.

After a while Christina's mother and sister approach me, I know that's who they are because they look almost the same.

"Hello, you were one of Christina's instructors during initiation right?"

"I was, my name is Four. I'm one of her best friends now."

The little sister's eyes close at me, but the mother seems happy. "How did she do during initiation?"

"She did very well, in fact she did well enough that our oldest leader Eric trusted her enough to be in charge of a group of her own." Their eyes are wide open as they stare at me.

"You said she's one of your best friends?"

I nod and shift on my feet. "Yes, she's best friends with the other leader Tris and since I'm friends with her Christina was kind of thrust into my circle. We've grown to tolerate each other enough."

"She is difficult to get along with sometimes." Her sister laughs and her mother thanks me and they walk off.

Maybe it's weird to call Christina one of my best friends, but a few weeks ago I thought that Tris and I would be starting a relationship. Things change. People change.

It all makes me think of my mother, a decade is more than enough time to make someone a completely different person. I grew up in that time, I changed from a scared abused little boy into a strong man currently helping save the city for a second time.

My mother has lied to me too much to make me care for her in a loving way ever again. I know that I can never forgive Marcus for what he's done to me and I can't ever love him as a father, there's a chance that I could forgive Evelyn but I know that I will never see her as my mother. My mother died when I was a child and I cannot bring her back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Tris**

The Dauntless that I'm with don't understand how an entire group of people can be so quiet for so long.

When Marcus walked in the room everyone looked to him for answers and he looked more than pleased to know that everyone wanted him to address what was going on. But when he started talking I knew that there wasn't going to be any way he would actually tell them what kind of danger they were in.

"I know it's scary but together we can work through this and with the help of our…_dear_ friends from Dauntless are here to make sure that if a fight does break out that we will be protected."

There are people sitting in the room that I recognize, Susan sits in the crowd and watches me intently, a man that my mother worked with looks at his wife but doesn't reach out to her, my old neighbor sits up straight and tries not to meet anyone's eyes, and a boy a few years younger than me sits between his parents.

"If you need anything please let me know, I know that the members of Abnegation aren't violent so if you don't want to help with a fight do not feel obligated." I can see Marcus looking at me and I know that he doesn't like the fact that I addressed the members of Abnegation, but he can't control me now.

After a few minutes, a group gets up and whispers to Marcus who nods. A little bit later they come back with food and water for everyone and almost everyone in the room stands to help serve each other.

Susan brings a half of a sandwich and a cup of water to me. "Hello Beatrice." She says.

"Hello Susan, how are you?" I thank her for the food.

"I'm well, I miss you, and Caleb, and Robert but I still have my parents and the others our age are very nice." Her eyes tell me that there's something else she wants to ask but won't because curiosity is vain.

"You know," I say draining the cup. "No one else is paying attention to us right now."

She takes the hint and steps closer. "Did your tattoo hurt?"

"Yes, but really it depends on where you get them. I have four and they all hurt in their own ways. One on the back of each shoulder which didn't hurt much at all, the one on my collarbone hurt more, and there's one covering my entire side and that hurt the most." At Dauntless I would have shown the ivy but at Abnegation I won't knowing that they will find it in poor taste. The fact that I'm wearing a low cut shirt is bad enough. She turns to leave but I grab her wrist for a second. "Susan, I know that we're supposed to drop everything when we transfer factions but I can still be your friend if you need anything."

Nodding she leaves back to her parents and no one noticed what happened.

When the sun goes down there are still no sign of the factionless, the area around Abnegation is flat and there is nowhere to hide so it's not like there's anywhere they could be without us seeing them.

One of the Dauntless come in the room to give me an update every hour and each time there is nothing to report. At all.

When we came up with this plan we decided that if nothing happens by sunrise we let the factions get back to their normal lives but with a small guard switching every few hours. We have twelve hours until that plan goes into action.

Everyone in the room seems calm outwardly, they're checking on everyone else and I've been asked if I need anything several times. Part of me wants to help and ask if they need help but I know that they won't let me because I'm not in their faction anymore, so instead I stay where I am leaning against the wall watching the room.

It's late when the guard runs in sweaty and pale but he doesn't stop to talk to anyone else including Marcus which makes me smirk.

"They're here." He whispers.

"How many?"

The sweat runs down his brow and I take a moment to look at him, he might be a year older than me and looks like he guards the fence on any given day. "Four groups of five, one at each corner of the surrounding area, they're spread out and moving slowly thinking we can't see them that way."

"Alright, I'll be out in a minute." As casually as I can I start walking over to Marcus and turn my back to the group so they can't see what I'm saying. "Factionless are here, everyone needs to stay inside and as quiet as possible."

Outside the guards are talking quietly and fill me in when I pass by them, but I'm worried. Before, the factionless made a show of their force so why try to hide now? The rustle of grass to my left suddenly makes me realize what's going on and I run back to Marcus.

"Evelyn wants that video from you, right?" He nods. "Where is it?"

"Beatrice now is not the time-"

"You're right, it's not. But right now the factionless aren't attacking Abnegation, they're trying to sneak in and I'll bet they're going straight for the video. So where is it?"

The crease between his eyebrows deepens as he tries to think of a reason why he shouldn't tell me, but eventually he gives up. "In my house, underneath the staircase."

"Stay here." When I run out I find Shauna and grab her arm dragging her with me to the Eaton house. "I need you to watch the door and make sure no one gets inside." She nods and checks the room with me when we get inside before locking the door.

"So this is where Four grew up?"

I'm tempted to look around, I've never been here but I know I won't find anything interesting. "Yeah, I wouldn't tell him you were in here though."

The curtains are already drawn together so Shauna perches on the arm of a chair and keeps her gun up while I open the storage cubby under the stairs. There isn't much there, a few extra blankets and bed linens, a box of Evelyn's stuff, and a large unlabeled box. I move the large box to the side unveiling a loose floor board which I pull up and grab the box underneath, it's small which makes sense because it only has a disc in it but it feels heavy. The weight of it is all in my head and I know that but it doesn't help me feel any less hesitant about bringing it with me.

"Got it?" I didn't tell Shauna what we were going in here for, just that it was something the factionless wanted.

"Yeah, now we just need to get it somewhere safe."

She and I go back and forth on the safest place for the disc, Dauntless seems like the obvious choice but it's too risky going there and Erudite is most likely surrounded. The best bet is to just stay put with it for now.

Before we leave I rummage through the unmarked box and find other discs that I can only assume are blank and grab a few, it might be worth having extras for a deversion.

I tell her we're ready to go but she doesn't move. "What do they want so badly that they would attack the entire city?"

The leaders decided that we would tell our factions when we thought the time was right, in the middle of a tense standoff didn't seem like a good enough time but I couldn't lie to her. "It's a video, from one of the city's founders and I want to tell you what's on it so that you know and that you trust me but I can't right now. That's something for the entire faction to hear at the same time."

We hug and leave the house going opposite directions to check the perimeter but I only get a few steps out before the factionless start to advance on us.

Their bullets are real and ours are not which makes it an unfair fight, but the Dauntless know how to fight and where to aim for maximum incapacitation and after only a little bit the small group of factionless are all handcuffed and stuffed into my old house.

"Tris!" I spin around and see Uriah running towards me. "Everyone at the fence was taken care of, I thought I would come check here." His eyes scan my body to quickly check for any injuries before grabbing me and holding me close. "Christina was so worried."

"There's no reason for her to be worried, you know that."

He laughs and pulls away. "I know, but she's Christina and she does what she wants."

There were only a handful at the fence from what Uriah says which is why he left but since there's nothing more to do here either I think of a new plan.

"Take one of these, it's just blank but it looks just like what Evelyn wants. Don't let anyone know it's blank, go to Candor and find Four tell him what's going on." Uriah shoves the disc in a pocket and runs off.

I find Shauna again and tell her what's going on, leaving her in charge I run off towards Erudite keeping inside abandoned buildings and shadows as much as I can. But when I get closer to the headquarters it's difficult to be somewhere that a group of factionless don't already occupy and eventually I just make a run for it.

The guards out front see me before anyone else and start covering for me while also yelling for me to run faster, I'm almost through the doors when I feel the burning in my side and fall into one of the guards who I recognize as Zeke.

"Shit, Tris come on get up!" He yells pulling me forward but I can't move without pain shooting through my entire body. "Oh man, you can't do this not now!" He yells throwing his gun down and scooping me up in his arms.

He runs for the elevator telling someone else to press the button and we wait to be taken up to the labs. I'm shaking and trying not to cry out in pain but I know that my face is wet with tears anyway and the whimpering just sounds pathetic. When the doors open I hear voices and I'm set down on a cold metal table before my shirt is cut off and someone is looking at my abdomen.

"Zeke…" I croak latching onto his hand. He's the only familiar person here and I can't let him leave me.

He mumbles into my hair as he kisses my forehead like a big brother. "Someone go get Eric." I hear the door open and footsteps ringing through the hall. "It's alright Tris, I'm here."

The pain is too much for me to handle when someone prods at my stomach and I scream, Zeke keeps telling me it'll be okay and I'm injected with something. Right as I'm blacking out I hear the door open and Eric's voice.

"Oh my God."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Eric**

I had no idea what was going on when I heard the popping sounds of gunfire outside and had started towards the lobby when someone ran up to me and said Zeke needed me.

I know that Zeke was outside but when we got off only a few floors down I knew something was wrong.

"Oh my God." Tris was lying on the table unconscious with blood covering her stomach and Zeke holding onto her. "What happened?"

"She was running towards us, and we were covering her but she got shot." Tears were in his eyes as he held onto her hand tightly. "I'm so sorry."

My body went cold as I watched the group surrounding her poking into her belly with needles and giving her serums to keep her going, but the blood that pooled on the table underneath her made me want to get sick. There was so much that I couldn't believe there was any left in her body.

Slowly I walked towards her and rested a hand on the side of her head, Zeke moved away and collapsed against the wall crying silently. "It's not your fault." I call over to him, hoping that he can hear me.

Everyone is talking quickly and working on fixing her but all I feel is how cold her skin in and how she's not moving. The burning in my eyes won't go away and when I'm finally able to blink I realize that there are tears streaming down my cheeks and dripping off my chin.

It's not long before Uriah crashes through the door hoping to find us in a meeting and instead the joke dies on his lips as he sees Tris on the table. "What happened?"

Zeke chokes on a sob but can't answer, when I look at him I notice that his clothes are covered in blood. "She was shot running here, Zeke caught her as she fell to the ground." Uriah quickly goes over to his brother and tries to calm him down but it doesn't work as well as he planned so instead he sits silently watching as the others try to keep Tris alive.

"Four sent me here, he said that some of the factionless have surrendered themselves, they don't want to fight anymore." Placing a kiss on Tris' forehead and murmuring to her I move allowing the others to work on her more effectively and sit next to them. "He said that his mom is reaching out to him but he's just shutting her down every time."

I nod and run a hand through my hair. "Was anyone hurt over there?"

"No, the Candor are all situated in their meeting room talking very loudly about how there are better ways to do this." Being born into Dauntless it's difficult for Uriah to really understand how the Candor can be so open. "He has everything under control though."

The three of us sit and watch Tris get worked on, they put an iv in her arm and stop the bleeding before digging around for the bullet and fixing any damage it caused. It's hours before they start to stich her up but even then we're told that she's going to be out for a while.

I ask Zeke and Uriah to go around and check the building and see if everyone is alright, I can't leave Tris unconscious on the table. Thankfully they understand that and I ask them not to send anyone to tell Four what happened.

That night I stay beside her in the room watching her breathing even out and feel her skin get warmer. Her side is swollen and there will definitely be a scar where she was cut to get to the bullet, but she'll live and that's all that matters right now.

When I wake up the next morning stiff and achy from the chair I see that she's moved a bit in her sleep but it doesn't look like she's in pain. Zeke comes in and tells me that everything was quiet for the rest of the night and it looks like the factionless are starting to get bored and leave.

"Why would they get bored? Isn't this something that they want?"

I shake my head. "I'm starting to think it's not that simple. Maybe they want us to think that they're getting bored but really they're just trying to lull us into a false sense of security."

"Four is downstairs by the way."

_Shit._ With a soft kiss on the forehead I leave Tris and Zeke follows me to the meeting room where Four is talking with Uriah.

"How's Candor holding up?"

Four's eyes are wide and I can tell he knows that something is wrong. "Better than here apparently, shootings outside?"

"Yeah." Looking past him to Uriah I watch him shake his head and know that he didn't tell Four the news. "Come with me, there's something you need to know."

Leaving Zeke in charge again I take Four upstairs to the room Tris is in.

"What happened?"

"She was running here with the disc Evelyn wants, the factionless shot her right before she got to the building." She was still sleeping so we sat and talked quietly. "I have the disc hidden for now but we need to do something with it."

"Why can't we just play it? Get it over with and let everyone make a decision for themselves."

I can't deny that it's probably the best idea that we can come up with for now, "All the leaders will have to agree."

"Which means we need to wait for Tris to wake up."

Just then Brad walked in smiling. "Good news, I was just talking with the people who have been monitoring Tris and they say that everything is fine. One of them was a transfer from Amity who was a mentee to a nurse. She won't be able to do much physically though."

"That's great news," Four leans back in the chair exhaling. "Do you know how long it will take for her to wake up?"

"Unfortunately, no. Her body is still recuperating from the injury so it might be minutes and it might be days. We can't say for sure."

"We need all the leaders here for a meeting. Any way you can send a car to pick up the other three?" Nodding he leaves the room. "We should try and get some sleep before they get here, I'm guessing it hasn't been a calm night for you either."

"There's a reason I didn't join Candor, they don't shut their mouths."

There's another pillow on the chair that I use to prop my head off of Tris and fall asleep quickly. It feels like moments later someone is running their fingers through my hair and it takes me forever to realize it's her.

"Good morning." She says, "You could have slept somewhere more comfortable you know."

Immediately I'm standing and holding her head between my hands kissing every piece of her skin I can. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried, what made you run around the city by yourself?"

"I needed to get the disc out of Abnegation and I knew the best bet was with you. Zeke saw me and tried to cover me but I just wasn't fast enough."

"I know all that Tris, what I want to know is what made you leave Abnegation in the first place."

Something in the way I say that makes her realize that she's not the only one hurting because of this, she reaches out and touches my face lightly. "I'm so sorry Eric, I just wanted to do the right thing."

"Don't do it again." I say placing a kiss on her lips firmly. "I can't lose you."

There's a knock at the door and the other leaders file in silently.

"Why did you bring us all the way over here?" Marcus sounds annoyed. "To look at a little girl who tried to play soldier and got hurt?"

"Shut up." Four growls and for a moment I think Marcus is going to explode but instead sulks in the back. "Tris is one who found what Evelyn is looking for, she thought up a plan to make sure it stayed out of factionless hands, and she got it all the way here. So far she's done more than you have."

Johanna steps forwards and takes one of Tris' hands, "You were brave." She says brushing back the hair that has been sticking up from the pillow.

"What are we supposed to do with the disc now?" Jack Kang, paranoid as ever paces around the room.

"We were thinking of giving the city a choice, we show the video and then we let them decide who wants to stay in the city as a part of the faction system and who wants to leave the city and find a different way to live without factions." The other stare at me like I'm crazy but I don't submit and keep looking between each of them. "Everyone is restless for one reason or another because Evelyn is trying to get this information. If we just show it to the city then it's out of our hands and they can make their own decisions."

Marcus scoffs in the back. "And how do you propose we do that without causing even more chaos?"

"We each go back to our factions, let them watch it and then tell everyone that the choice is theirs. They can stay and continue with the way things are or they can leave and live independently." Four stands next to me and Tris folding his arms across his chest.

"And what will we say? That we've been keeping secrets from all of them?"

"Yes," Tris sits up so she's not as far below all of us. "We tell everyone that we didn't know what the information would do to the city so we sat on it until we could decide but with everything going on it's just better for them to make the decision themselves rather than be destroyed all together."

Everyone is quiet for a bit. "Dauntless leaders have already discussed and agree to do this." I announce clasping my hands in front of me and waiting for the next vote.

"Erudite agrees." While waiting I had talked to Brad about the ramifications of keeping this information quiet any longer.

"Amity agrees."

"Candor agrees."

We all turned to Marcus waiting for his vote, instead of answering his face turned red with anger and he started taking a few steps back and forth.

"No, I will not agree to this." The rest of us all tense waiting for the explosion. "I am a leader in this city and I refuse to let these people ruin our city!"

"Are you serious?" Four is turning red, I can tell that soon he's going to start yelling back. "This isn't about _you_ being a _leader_ it's about an entire city!"

Johanna steps between the two of them and holds up her hands. "We need to think about this rationally, Four and Eric are right it's not just about what we want. Marcus, you need to push your pride back and think about this for the good of the city and not just yourself."

It took a while to talk him down but eventually Marcus also agreed.

So Brad took the disc and said that he would play it in an hour, so the rest of us left to go back to our headquarters and assemble everyone. Four found Zeke in the meeting room and had him send all of the Dauntless back to headquarters.

Brad was nice enough to have us taken back which was good because Tris couldn't walk very far let alone jump on and off of a moving train. When we got back Christina ran up to us and was about to wrap her arms around Tris but I stopped her just in time.

"She got shot." She had been given another black shirt which hid the swelling but Christina started freaking out. "Take her and find a seat please."

Four and I stood on a table up front and got everyone's attention. "We have to be honest with you all," He calls across the Pit. "The faction system was created after the war to keep our city safe, but that wasn't the only reason."

Looking out I could see everyone's confusion but when I looked to Tris I saw her pale face and Christina and Uriah keeping her sitting up. "There will be a video playing soon which we want everyone to watch and make a decision after that, but we want you to know that we did not keep this information from you all for our own gain but because we didn't want the factions to turn on each other. Now that the factionless are threatening to do that anyway we don't want to wait for this so when you watch the video please know that whichever decision you make is your own and you won't be stopped."

"What are you talking about?"

"We've been told since we were little that whatever is outside the fence is dangerous, but it's not. It's true that there isn't much outside the fence but it's not completely desolate." A few of the younger Dauntless started speaking up and calling out.

Just as I was about to answer a question that had been yelled out the video started playing.

"My name will be Edith Prior, and there is much I am happy to forget."

It's not often that everyone in Dauntless is completely silent, but it only lasts for a second before everything explodes.

**A/N: Oh snap here it goes. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, I'm so happy that everyone is enjoying the story!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Tris**

When the yelling started all through the Pit I know that at least half of the Dauntless eyes were on me because the woman in the video is named Prior. Eric and Four tried their best to calm everyone down and Uriah tried his best to keep everyone away from me but after a minute of nothing being done I stood up on the table with the boys and whistled loudly enough to make every one stop.

"I know you're all upset and you think that we tried to hide this from you, but we always knew that this video would be shown to all of you. This video changes absolutely everything we knew about our city and about how we have lived our lives, so yeah we waited to show it because we didn't want everything to be destroyed." I'm holding my side from the pain of yelling and Eric tries to make me sit down. "So now that you know the big secret of our home you all get to decide whether you want to stay and continue on as we have been for the past hundred years or you can leave and start a new life without the lingering feeling that you're a lab rat."

Everyone stayed silent as I was helped off the table and through the Pit, I wanted to go to my apartment but instead Eric steered me towards his.

"You need to rest Tris, you're still healing."

He lays me down on the bed and pulls off my shoes and jeans bringing me a pair of boxer shorts to sleep in. "Do you need anything?"

"Pain serum. Lots of it." I can feel the swelling and the heat radiating off of my abdomen and it scares me. When I woke up I was told that all of this was normal and that it would be like that for at least a week maybe two, but how could I help protect the city if I'm in this much pain?

I don't even realize he's gone until I call out and there's no answer. I go to the faucet and get a glass of water and by the time I've hobbled back to bed the door is opening and Eric comes in with a bag of vials. "What are you doing?"

"I was thirsty."

Setting the bag on the floor Eric comes over and tucks me into bed propping my head up with an extra pillow and grabbing a vial for me. "Tris, you seriously need to rest you're gonna rip open the sutures if you're not careful."

His cool hands touch my face and I give in to the feeling of comfort and close my eyes against his touch. "Fine. I'll stay here and do nothing and you'll have to help me with everything."

"And I'll be happy to do it." I can feel the serum working against my pain and I'm starting to get tired so when Eric kisses me and tells me to rest I can't resist.

When I wake up again it's dark outside and Eric is asleep next to me snoring lightly. I realize that I slept through dinner and try to sit up but pain shoots through my body and I fall back into the pillow. The pain killers are on the table next to bed luckily so I open one and drain it waiting perfectly still for it to kick in, and finally when it does I'm able to stand out of bed and make my way to the table.

There's a plate of food there and I can only assume that he brought it from dinner for me and in that moment I have never been more thankful. The chicken is cold but I don't care and with the rolls, gravy, and corn my hunger is immediately satiated.

It takes me a few minutes to stand up from the table and work my way back over to the bed and it's all I can do not to fall onto the mattress which I end up doing anyway.

"You alright?" Eric mumbles sitting up and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I got up for food, thanks for the plate by the way." Maybe it's the fact that I know I can't move or knowing that if I try to move I'll either collapse from pain or Eric will force me back into bed, but I want nothing more than to run next to the train and ride it through the city.

Eric moves around a bit next to me pulling the blankets up around us and lacing his fingers with mine. "You need to rest, you're not going to get better moving around like this."

"I was hungry and you were sleeping, did you want me to wake you up so you could bring me food?"

When he laughs Eric shakes the bed a bit. "If you're in pain then yeah I want you to wake me up so I can help you."

Together we drift back off to sleep only to be woken up by a knock at the door only a couple of hours later.

"Sorry, I know it's early." Four walks in and sits on the couch. "A few people have decided that they're going to leave and they set up in the Pit trying to convince everyone else to leave with them."

"Who is it?"

"Ella and Mark Young, brother and sister raised in Dauntless they're a few years older than us. They were pissed that we kept the video from them and started talking to friends about leaving." It looks like Four hasn't slept all night and I meet Eric's eyes.

With a sigh he starts getting dressed. "We should probably get down there and see what's going on."

"Can you throw me my pants?" The boys both look at me immediately with worry marring their features. "I need to help and maybe afterwards I'll go to the infirmary to get checked up."

Four laughs at me instead of helping. "You're going crazy after one night?"

"It hurts to sit up let alone walk around or run away from crazy people shooting at us." They laugh at me but Eric brings my pants and boots over anyway.

"How about you go to the infirmary now and get checked out and meet us for breakfast?" Groaning I pull up the pants and Eric puts my boots on before the three of us head out.

Eric's apartment is farther back than the others so we pass by a lot of our friends places and I spot Christina trying to sneak out of Will's.

"Hey Chris!" When Four calls out to her I can see her cheeks flood with pink. "Do you mind taking Tris down to the infirmary?"

The embarrassment goes away and she runs over and grabs my waist, I don't even get to say good bye to the guys before they stalk off towards the Pit trying to look as manly as possible.

"How's it feel?" She asks pulling me through the corridors until finally we get to the infirmary.

"Like my insides are on fire." I fall into the nearest bed and start groaning. "I feel like there's something wrong."

Shauna comes over and checks out my abdomen which hurts more since she's pushing on it. The pain killers she gave me start to kick in but it still hurts and Christina has to hold my hand and stroke my hair trying to calm me.

"Well, they did the best they could considering but you were shot Tris. The bullet did some damage and it'll take a little bit for everything inside to heal and stop swelling, you really need to take it easy for the next few weeks." I can feel the tears behind my eyelids from the pain anyway but they start to multiply when she says that. "I know it sucks Tris but you need to let someone take care of you. That means getting help going to the bathroom, taking a shower, and if you go anywhere help with that."

"She might die from that." Christina jokes but she knows that's exactly how I feel.

Shauna gives me more pain vials before making Christina walk me down to breakfast where we meet the guys. There are plates already made up for us and when I sit down Christina starts telling them what Shauna said and how I've been placed on partial bed rest.

Eric's eyes are on me from across the table and I know he's looking at me like a broken piece of glass that he can't put back together right away. The worst part is that it's how I feel and that's why it's so difficult for me to just stay in bed and let someone take care of me for the next two weeks. But I know that thanks for Christina's big mouth there's no way I can play it off like I'm fine and can continue on normally.

His eyes are still on me whether he knows it or not but the rest of the table keep their conversations going. Eventually I look up from my plate and meet his gaze waiting for him to take me back to the apartment and swaddle me so I can't leave. Once I'm done eating it actually does happen though, Eric carries me in his arms while Four walks beside us and when we get to the apartment and I'm placed back on the bed we get to talking.

"What happened with the people who wanted to leave?" I ask pulling my pants off while Eric holds up the blanket blocking the view for Four. "Did they end up leaving or did you convince them to stay?"

The boxers that I pull on were once Eric's but now they're mine and they're very comfortable. When I'm finally dressed he tucks me in and sits on the other side of the bed pulling his boots off. "No, they decided to leave."

"It was only the two though, so we escorted them to their apartments and then sent them to the fence where they could leave." I fluff the pillows behind me so I can sit up higher as Four tells me how angry the two former Dauntless were as they left but how it was what they wanted. "They were more upset that no one else came with them rather than the fact that they were leaving."

"They really didn't care that they were leaving the city for who knows what?" Shaking his head Four started chuckling.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the three of us talking until lunch when Eric brought me a plate of food and stayed with me.

"I really don't want to be a burden on you, I can take care of myself."

He takes the empty plate away and cradles my face in his hands. "You will never be a burden on me Tris. I want to make sure that you're alright, that you're taken care of, not in pain…I want to take care of you."

When he kisses me it's soft, gentle like he's trying not to hurt me which is probably is. But I still feel stronger and like the burning inside my stomach isn't from being shot it's from feeling like I can't be without him. Like there's something inside of me that needs him to keep going, he is a life force for me and I can't get enough.

But he pulls away too soon and I'm left breathing deeply to try and not remember that everything I'm feeling physically is just pain. "Lay down, do you need anything?"

"A shower actually."

"I'll get a bath going and bring a towel for you to wrap up in. I won't be in there if you don't want me to."

I know he's just trying to keep things from moving too fast but if it comes to it I won't hesitate to ask for his help because I could use as much as possible right now. Instead I nod and when he goes into the bathroom I can hear the water running, the towel he brings me is large so when I'm finally able to take my clothes off and wrap it around my body I feel like a kid.

Eric helps me to the bathroom and leaves the door cracked open in case I need him but leaves for my privacy. The water is nice and warm when I step in and lower myself onto my knees, from there I work myself backwards and wiggle each leg out from under my butt until finally I'm lounging back into the water.

My eyes close from the comfort and I don't even think about actually bathing, just soaking is enough for now. But all the tension that was released with the heat suddenly returns when I open my eyes and see that the water is slowly turning pink.

"Eric." I call and feel my voice shudder. "I need some help." But he doesn't answer, the pink starts to turn a deeper color as more blood flows out of my body. "ERIC!"

The door is thrown open as he runs into the bathroom but stops immediately when he sees what's happening. Without a second though he grabs me out of the tub and wraps the towel around my wet body before picking me up and running out of the apartment.

I don't even care who sees me right now all I care about is the white towel turning red around my abdomen and how fuzzy my thoughts are becoming. I don't even hear Eric when he murmurs soothing words in my ear or when he yells for Shauna in the infirmary.

And after a few minutes, I don't hear anything.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Eric**

It's odd thinking about the first time that you know that you're in love. I've felt it only once before and it was a heartbreak waiting to happen. But now, with Tris, I feel like there's nothing that can pull us apart.

Nothing except this.

I was getting something to drink when I heard her call me, but I figured I could finish the glass before seeing what she needed and that is the stupidest thing I could have ever thought to do. My girlfriend is recovering from being _shot_ and I'm worried about finishing my glass of water. When I saw her in the tub I didn't even register her nudity because it didn't matter, all I saw was the blood in the water surrounding her like ribbons changing from light to dark pink.

Knowing that I couldn't carry her through Dauntless completely naked I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her before running out of the apartment as fast as possible and trying not to think that she was bleeding in my arms.

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine. You'll get fixed up again and heal and everything will go back to being normal." The words aren't really for Tris but to believe them I have to say it out loud. "Shauna!"

I place her as gently as I can on the nearest bed and when Shauna runs out I can tell she knows it's something with Tris, she's already pushing up her sleeves and pulling the divider around the bed so no one else can see. The towel has a giant red blob on it from the blood and when it's pulled away I see more spilling out and rolling down her side.

"What happened?" I can't talk for some reason, I feel like I'm panicking and just as I try to figure out what happened Tris' head rolls to the side and she passes out. "Eric!"

"She was taking a bath, literally she was in there for ten minutes!"

Calling over another person to help I'm pushed to the side so they can help stop the bleeding.

"The hot water loosened her stitches and one popped." Shauna is talking but I'm not sure who she's talking to.

There are only a few people who work in the infirmary, it's kind of a dull job within Dauntless but since we're known for doing stupid and crazy things someone needs to take care of us. Shauna is the only one I really trust with Tris at this point and I watch her work through all the blood to stitch her back up. She must have told one of the others to go get Four because he shows up out of breath from running and sits next to me without saying anything.

Finally, after what seems like forever, Shauna leaves Tris' side making sure that the skin she had left exposed to suture was covered. "Can you guys move her off that bed to a new one not covered in blood?"

As carefully as possible Four and I move her to the next bed over and I try not to look at the sheets she was on before because of how much blood is soaked into them.

"The bath probably sounded like a good idea but with the amount of swelling it just caused her stitches to loosen up enough to pop and she started bleeding. Has she been resting since this morning?"

"She was in bed as soon as we got back until the bath."

It's the first time in days that Tris' face isn't contorted in pain and I can't help but feel terrible.

"I'm going to recommend that she stay here for a few nights just to make sure she doesn't do something like this again." Shauna says grabbing my attention. "She would probably be more comfortable in clothes though, and the others should know."

Four and I leave the infirmary very slowly, neither wants to leave Tris there unconscious and naked but we know that Shauna won't let anything happen to her while we're gone.

"I'll tell Christina." He says stopping at Will's door and knocking as I continue to my apartment to grab her clothes.

I pick up the pair or boxers she's been wearing as well as some clean underwear and a long sleeve shirt that's loose enough for her stomach. When I get back out into the hallway Four is still talking to Christina and she looks frantic.

"So it's true." She says eyeing the clothes in my hand. Will is standing behind her holding onto the doorframe.

"Shauna said she was lucky, but that there's a lot of damage that needs to heal. She bled a lot." Four's words don't seem to comfort them though and Christina pulls on the closest pair of shoes she can find before jogging down to the infirmary with Will close behind. "I'll find Uriah."

He leaves quietly working his way down to the Pit where Uriah probably is while I go down to the infirmary. Christina is there holding one of Tris' hands and Will looks like he's going to pass out.

"Can you help me dress her?" Will turns around and makes sure the curtains are closed but Christina still looks suspicious. "I pulled her out of a bath tub Chris, I don't think she's going to care that I put her shirt on."

I give her the clothes for her bottom half and help where I can so she's not moving Tris around too much, the shirt is more difficult to put on since I have to pull it over her head but once it's on and it looks comfortable we all relax.

"Do you think she's going to heal at all or is she just going to continue doing things to make it worse?"

Will wraps and arm around Christina. "You can't think like that, it's Tris and I've never known her to stop moving but that doesn't mean that she'll sabotage this."

Uriah and Zeke run into the room with Four and join the rest of us around the bed. Zeke looks like someone punched him in the ribs and starts to breathe heavily.

"I can't believe I let this happen." He says starting to get frantic.

"You didn't let her get shot." Four stands in front of him and tries to calm him but Zeke just shakes his head. "This isn't your fault."

Uriah moves towards Tris slowly like he's trying to figure out if we're all pulling a prank, after all Tris was sitting with us this morning and was fine but now she's out cold. I watch as he rests a hand on her shoulder lightly and I can only assume he hopes she feels it and knows that he's there.

He comes and sits next to me and I can feel that he wants to comfort me in some way but doesn't know how, so instead I place a hand on his shoulder and squeeze lightly, just enough for him to know that I care about how he's doing as well.

Eventually Shauna comes back around and tells everyone that they're going to need to leave and let Tris rest. "Out Eric." She says softly after the others have filed out of the room.

"I'm not going to be getting in the way, but I can't leave her." I must look utterly pathetic because she doesn't try to argue and motions to the bed next to hers for me to relax in.

Hours later I go to eat quickly before grabbing a plate to bring back for Tris, when I get back to the infirmary Shauna is bent over her and I can see that Tris' eyes are open.

"Eric." She says holding a hand out to me and I don't wait for a single second before running to her. "Shauna says you didn't leave until right before I woke up."

"Just my luck." She chuckles but I can see that it hurts her. "How are you feeling?"

Her eyes are still heavy lidded, her breathing looks like it hurts, and her face is pale. "I'm in pain, and my head is all fuzzy but I'm alive so that's all that matters."

"I'm so sorry," I press her hand to my cheek. "I shouldn't have let you get into the tub by yourself."

"You couldn't have known that my stiches weren't done properly." I want to laugh but settle for a smile. "Do the others know?"

I nod. "When I brought you were someone went to get Four, we decided that it was best to let Christina and Uriah know, they were all here until Shauna kicked them out. I'm sure they'll be happy you're awake."

"Please don't tell them just yet," Her voice sounds exhausted. "I want to sleep a little longer."

"You should eat something sweetie." Shauna coos checking the bandage.

Remembering what I did earlier I jump and grab the food. "I brought you a plate."

Tris digs into the food with more fervor than I've seen in her for the past few days and when she's done almost immediately nestles back into the bed and falls asleep.

That night I stay with her and feel myself wake up every time Tris shifts in her sleep, I want to be right there if she needs anything. A glass of water, pain serum, or anything else and while she's checked on every few hours I still feel nervous.

By the time the sun rises I'm more exhausted than I think I've ever been but Tris wakes up and immediately announces that she's hungry. I run down to breakfast and pile up two plates full of food before telling everyone that Tris is awake and running back to her.

She's half way through her breakfast when everyone runs in the room. Christina shrieks and goes to jump on the bed, probably something she did when they were initiates but Four snatches her midair and spins so she lands on the floor.

Tris lets out a laugh and grabs at her side. "I'm happy to see you too!" She says through gritted teeth.

The group spends the morning catching up on the last few days, Christina talks and talks like she always does with Will interjecting only a few times and Tris picks at what's left of her food as she listens but I notice that she doesn't talk much.

When Shauna kicks everyone out again I can hear Uriah grumbling about how I get to stay which makes me smile, but I turn to Tris and the happiness fades. "What's wrong?"

"I just hate knowing that I'm cooped up here. How am I supposed to do anything with my friends, or you, or leader stuff?" Her long fingers are playing with the edge of the blanket.

"Your friends just want you to be okay, they've come to see you every day I don't think they care where you all hang out as long as it's with you." She seems to soften but still seems upset. "As for me, I want you to be safe and I want you to be happy and I want you to be healthy. I really don't care where you are right now as long as you're being taken care of and getting better, and I want to be there to help you if you need it."

Her lips turn up in a smile and her fingers lace with mine. "I've been thinking," She says and her cheeks are tinted pink. "With everything going on I can see how much you care for me and I wanted to let you know that I love you."

Part of me wants to yell with happiness and another wants me to ask what she thinks she's doing with a guy like me, but instead I go with the part that wants to kiss her with every emotion I have behind it. "I love you too." She moves over in the bed enough for me to lie on my side facing her and I spend a few minutes watching her fall asleep.

When I start to feel my eyelids droop I get comfortable and take extra care not to hurt her when I place my arm around her to hold her against me. Her warmth radiates to me and I know that I've never felt happier in my life.

Yesterday afternoon when I brought her to the infirmary bleeding and I thought I was going to lose her, I realized that I really did love her but I wasn't going to say it until she was better. When she told me how she felt though I couldn't hold back, with everything that happened there is no time to hesitate on feelings and even though I'm still going to take it slow I want to be with her for as long as possible.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Tris**

It's a full week before Shauna lets me out of the infirmary and even then I'm carried back to Eric's apartment where I'm not allowed to move from the bed. He and Four go to my apartment and carry my dresser through the halls and settle it next to Eric's so all of my clothes are all here within reach.

Still, I prefer the stolen boxers and loose long sleeve shirts to any tight clothes I currently own. In Abnegation all of my clothes were nondescript and loose but after choosing Dauntless all my clothes started getting tighter and showed more skin.

So far I've done well with not moving and Eric has helped so much. He put a note on the office door in the Pire saying that if anyone needs anything to come to the apartment because he won't leave me alone again. Christina and Will stop by every day and she fixes my hair from being flattened by the pillow. Uriah and Zeke bring treats from meals, and even though Uriah eats most of the frosting on my cake anyway I love that he tries.

Zeke tries to apologize every single time and eventually I have Eric smack him on the back of the head gently to knock some sense in him and it seems to work. He goes back to cracking jokes and making fun of Uriah and I feel much better knowing that he's back to normal.

The swelling started to go down in the week Shauna kept me which is the only reason she let me leave. Eric won't let me walk and won't let me stand without help, he carries me into the bathroom and brings me food so I don't have to move. After another week the swelling is down even more and when Shauna comes to check on me she's incredibly happy with the results.

It's a full month before I'm even allowed to walk, my legs are sore and I've lost some muscle which will take time to rebuild but for now I'm just excited to get out of the apartment. When I make my first trip to the dining hall my friends applaud and make room at the table while Eric gets food.

"You look good Stiff." Uriah says throwing an arm around my shoulders and pushing his cake towards me to share.

"When will you be able to start working out again?" Christina asks.

"Not for at least another week and even then I have to be careful." Eric brings me breakfast and I dig in not realizing how hungry I am. "Shauna needs to give me the okay and take my stitches out first."

After breakfast I go walking around the Pit and only have to stop a couple of times to rest.

An hour into walking around Four comes up and matches my pace. "How's it feel?"

"I lost most of my muscle sitting around in bed, I get so tired walking around now." He leads me over to sit and we watch the Pit and the people wandering around. "I just want to get back to normal."

"You will eventually, take it slow though okay?" Since I found out Caleb had been working for Erudite the whole time I felt like there was no family left for me, but Four has really become more of an older brother to me lately and I have to admit that I enjoy it. "To be honest, I thought Eric was going to have a meltdown when you started bleeding out in the tub."

"What are you talking about?"

"Tris, he ran all the way down to the infirmary with you. When I got there he was just staring, he didn't say anything for hours and when he finally did all he could say was that you had almost died again and this time it was his fault." Four is speaking in a low voice so no one else hears about how one of the leaders almost lost it, but I'm in complete shock. "He really cares for you and I would hate to see what would happen to him if something ever happened to you."

My eyes drop down, I'm so ashamed that I can't even look at him. How did I let it get to the point of almost dying, again? "I guess I have to relax a little longer then. Don't want to world to go into chaos because I did something stupid and got myself killed."

Four laughs but I don't think he believes me, so instead we walk for a little bit longer until Eric finds us.

"There you are," He kisses me as a greeting. "You look worn out."

"I've been walking for a while, trying to get any exercise I can."

He nods and grabs my hand in his. "You guys want to go eat?"

The next morning we spend in a conference room in the Pire dealing with any discrepancies within the faction that have been ignored for the past few days at least. Luckily, we can sit the entire time so I'm able to join in but I notice that most of the people who come in give me a fleeting flance of pity before moving on to talk to Four or Eric.

Apparently, the next person who acts that way doesn't get an answer from them and instead they both turn towards me and ask for my opinion. When they both agree with what I say the man isn't happy and Eric just shrugs. "You heard her."

But the last problem we have to deal with is the fact that two of the three leaders are in a relationship together.

"Do you really think that matters?" Four has been leaning back in the chair enough to rest his feet on the table in front of us, it gives him an air of boredom but also superiority. "They've both proven themselves, they were voted in by the entire faction, and they were together before all that happened."

"One of these days, they'll make a decision that you don't like Four, and they'll vote together because that's what couples do."

He and Eric laugh though and the guy is caught off guard. "If you think Tris is going to vote on what to do based on the fact that she and I are together and not because it's what she thinks is right, you obviously don't know her very well."

I don't want to feel like a wounded animal that needs to be taken care of, but it's nice to know that when I'm being doubted as a leader the other two will stick up for me.

Eric and Four both help me walk around the Pit over the next few weeks and Christina meets up with me in the training room to punch things while I work on stretching the muscles in my legs.

"When do you think you'll be back to a normal workout?" She asks one day with sweat dripping off her hair.

"At least another month until I'm back to where I was before, but Shauna thinks I'll be able to start using the punching bags and running around in the next week or so."

The bullet did a lot of damage to my abdomen, I'm lucky that they were able to fix me at all. And after what Four told me I want to take it easy so that Eric feels comfortable letting me leave the apartment on my own.

"Zeke said that there are still small groups of factionless hanging out around the city, do you think they're just biding their time again?"

I shrug. Evelyn hasn't been seen since the big incident but she did hide from everyone for almost a decade so it's probably not that difficult to do in the first place. "Who knows. There's a leaders meeting tonight though so I'll bring it up."

A few hours later I'm sitting in the conference room again surrounded by the other leaders.

"Thank you for coming here," Four announces leaning back in his chair again. "It's very thoughtful of you all to let Tris heal."

"How are you healing?" Johanna asks from across the table, her smile makes me feel warm and comfortable.

"Better than I thought I would be. I was confined to the apartment for a long time."

The warmth I felt looking at Johanna disappears the second I turn to see Marcus glaring at us. He wants to say it's my own fault for getting shot, that if I had stayed in Abnegation guarding them like I was supposed to that it would never have happened. Instead, he turns his head away.

"There are reports of smalls factionless groups hanging around the city." Eric sounds like he belongs in a leadership position. His voice is calm, confident, and smooth. "We need to decide what to do about them."

"Shouldn't that be something Dauntless decides?" Marcus looks so smug I want to punch the smile off his face and looking to my left I see that Four feels the same way. "You _are_ the protectors of the city, are you not?"

"We have the manpower and the training to take care of what needs done, what I'm suggesting is that we all have a say in what course of action is taken." Leaning forward and lacing his fingers together Eric smiles. "Isn't that what Abnegation wants?"

Jack Kang also leans so his elbows are resting on the table. "I suggest watching them carefully, reminding our members not to divulge important information out in the streets where it can be overheard, and when the time comes if we have to either exile the factionless or get into another firefight with them then that's what we'll do."

"Why can't we just get rid of them all now?" Marcus looks from side to side at Johanna and Jack and then down the table to Brad.

"The logical thing to do is to wait and see what unfolds. Not to jump in without knowing what will happen." Erudite is the voice of reason for most of the meetings because they want to be logical, not surprisingly Marcus doesn't like that option.

"I agree with Jack." Johanna says jumping at the first non-violent approach.

"That's settled then." Eric leans back in his chair. "Any other business that needs to be taken care of?"

That night when I curl into bed I pull Eric close to me and press my cheek to his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" Playing with my hair has always been the easiest way for someone to calm me or to put me to sleep, I've never told him but Eric must know because every night he runs his fingers through my short locks and it never fails that I fall asleep easily.

"It's uncomfortable but it doesn't hurt much anymore. Do you think the factionless will try to rebel against everyone again?"

He shrugs. "I'm not sure. Like Jack and Brad said, it's best to just wait it out but to be cautious around them just in case."

My breathing starts to even out and Eric presses his lips to my forehead. Maybe it's the fact that I'm alive, or the fact that I'm with a man that I love, but ever since I got shot I've been realizing just how lucky I am and how I don't think I would feel this way or maybe even be alive if I had stayed in Abnegation.

For the first time since I went ziplining with Uriah, I feel like I made the right choice.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Epilogue, Eric**

_Nine months later_

"Happy choosing day."

Exactly one year ago I met Beatrice the shy Abnegation girl breaking out of her shell, and now I'm waking up with Tris the Dauntless leader. "Happy choosing day." I reply as we both get up to get dressed. "Are you excited to go watch the choosing?"

We decided that Tris and I would go with the few from our faction to the choosing ceremony while Four waited on the roof for the ones who come back with us.

"I'm starving, let's go get some breakfast." Tris jumps out of bed and pulls on her black pants which now fit exactly like when she was shot, a black tee shirt, and her boots. She's been cutting her hair again so it's still short and sticks up at different angles.

I follow suit and pull clothes on before we run to the dining hall where everyone is talking excitedly.

"HAPPY CHOOSING DAY!" Uriah yells while standing on the bench. He has cake on his face and I wonder if he's had an actual breakfast or is just getting sugared up.

Breakfast goes by in a blur and before I know it Tris and I are running to catch the train with all the sixteen year old Dauntless. Everyone on the train is jumping and calling out with excitement until we get to the city and they all start jumping off at the platform and running towards the building. Tris and I follow but stay towards the back until we get inside and we sit front and center.

The choosing goes on like it always does and when it's over the two of us and the Dauntless born lead everyone out running through the streets towards the train platform. When I look out at the group waiting for the train I notice that we have almost an even number from Candor and Erudite but only one from Amity and none from Abnegation.

Tris isn't paying attention to who's transferred over and instead she's trying to make sure she gets the train. She's all healed up now but sometimes she says that the scar hurts after doing something really vigorous, the first time we had sex she laid in bed and clutched her stomach for ten minutes.

The train comes around the corner and we start running along the platform. A few of the Dauntless born jump on the train and stand in the door to help the others on, I jump on and reach out from Tris. She's stubborn and keeps running through ignoring my outstretched arm and just smiles.

"I can do it." She calls and while most of the others aren't on the train yet I know the platform is running out. When she jumps I still wrap my arm around her waist and pull her towards me.

"I know you can do it." I whisper to her kissing her cheek and watching as the others jump on.

We don't lose anyone to the first test and I see a lot of the transfers staring at me holding onto Tris probably wondering how two leaders can be together.

When we get to the rooftop Tris jumps off first and I follow as well as a few Dauntless born from the second car. I know the transfers are starting to figure out what they need to do and I watch and one by one they start to jump off and while Four is waiting on the ledge Tris and I head down to the net and wait to see who jumps first with our friends.

"Bet it'll be an Erudite." Christina says.

Will shakes his head. "No, it'll be an Amity."

"Definitely Dauntless born." Uriah quips.

Zeke laughs. "You always say that."

They start jumping and it ends up being a Candor which disappoints everyone who made a bet.

That night at dinner the three of us stand on a table up front and welcome the new initiates to the faction and the members start whooping and pounding on the table. "We recognize normal acts of bravery."

We talked about what to say during the speech and a few things were thrown around but mostly we wanted to go back to what the manifesto says and it seemed like the best thing to do with the recent circumstances.

The speech didn't last too long which the Dauntless seem to enjoy.

"So we got twelve transfers and ten Dauntless born." Four says before eating a piece of cake. "So the question is, are we keeping all twenty two or just top ten like before?"

"I don't see why we can't keep all twenty two." Tris says. "If we just take the top ten, that means twelve are going to factionless which might not be the best thing right now."

"I agree, we can still rank to base jobs on but we keep all of the initiates." I'm sitting with my back against the wall looking out at the room. The Dauntless born initiates all sit together at a few tables while the transfers struggle to find seats even though there are open tables.

A few staring at the table openly catch my eye and quickly turn away. There are a few girls staring at Four and guys staring at Christina and one or two even staring at Tris, she's not conventionally pretty and she doesn't do anything to make herself prettier but to me that's part of the charm. I love her because she's herself and doesn't try to make anyone think anything differently.

I started doing some research about a month ago on how Dauntless get married and I heard a few different things but one thing I know is that they don't do big ceremonies.

That night when we get back to the apartment, which Tris eventually moved into fully, we finally get to spend some time alone.

"So, I was thinking." We curl into bed and I pull her close to me. "Would you want to get married?"

She turns around in bed to face me and I can see her smiling in the moon light. "Are you proposing?"

I know that in Abnegation there aren't proper proposals and that the parents really set it up mostly but since we're in Dauntless and neither of us have parents we really just have to decide for ourselves.

"Do you want me to?" She nods and I feel an arm curl around my waist. "Then I am." I kiss her harder than I've ever done before and she starts kissing me back. "Tris, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

The next morning before breakfast the two of us run down to the tattoo parlor and get designs on our ring fingers.

"What is that?" Will points to Tris' finger when we all sit down and as soon as he's finished speaking his eyes go wide. "Oh."

"We have an announcement." Everyone looks up from their plates and I smile. "Tris and I are engaged."

Christina and Shauna scream as they jump up and grab Tris into a giant hug and the guys all clap me on the shoulder or shake my hand before also hugging her. Our little table is bustling with noise which grabs others attention even before Uriah stands on the bench and yells out the news.

Some of the faction members that we know come over and congratulate us, the guys talk about drinking in the Pit later, the girls are bustling around Tris asking how I proposed and whatnot and while some don't think it's a super romantic way of asking her to marry me we both agree that it was the best way for us.

The transfers have no idea what is going on and are still getting used to all of the commotion that come with the Dauntless.

"So have you guys talked about when you're actually going to get married?"

Four asks but everyone else waits for the answer. "No we haven't, not yet anyway."

I'm sure that Tris won't want anything big and I'm not sure how the Dauntless actually do weddings so I'll have to find someone I can ask, but for now I'm just content knowing that we are together.

"I love you." Tris whispers in my ear.

A smile engulfs my face and I can't help but kiss her. "I love you too."

I could wait forever to marry her knowing that and would gladly do it. There is nothing in the world that could make me happier than she does and her love burns so brightly I don't think it will ever go out.

**A/N: Ta da! Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing, I was thinking about doing a short story after this depicting the wedding so if anyone is interested in that please let me know!**


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